Golden Fire
by RosieB
Summary: Kagome finds out that someone wants to hurt her and her family in the modern era. Can Inuyasha get over his jealousy to help her, along with Sess, Kouga and Kikyo? IYKA, MS etc. Review! (ff.net hates me) COMPLETE WITH EPILOGUE!
1. Default Chapter

A/N: This plot just wouldn't leave my mind. It must be written. Please forgive any errors made in conflict with the anime. As a college student who has cable at the apartment and not at home, I miss more episodes than I wish to. I don't really think that will affect the story, but just in case. This is not just a romance. I am a hopeless romantic but I get bored with fluff quickly and so if I ever do fluff, it's one chapter max. This is my first Inuyasha fic, but I already have strong feelings about pairings. Kikyo will be in this fic (unless I change my mind) but if you expect her to be kissing on our favorite hanyou (with him liking it that is). well, you shouldn't be.  
  
Disclaimer: If I had any of the rights to Inuyasha, I'd be rich and in the Bahamas right now.  
  
Golden Fire  
  
Prologue  
  
It all started when Kikyo died, believing Inuyasha had betrayed her. No, that's not fair. The beginning is much further back than that. But the beginning that I am, and always was concerned with, was when Inuyasha stepped into the legend. The legend of the Shikon no Tama, the Shikon jewel. Purified by Kikyo, stolen by Inuyasha, reincarnated and shattered by. well, me. Not entirely my fault. I was trying to get it back, so I could leave the dog half-demon and be on my way. Fate just needs to mind its own damn business sometimes. Let a girl just move on for once.  
  
I guess that even if fate was willing to let me move on, Inuyasha wouldn't. Not him exactly, because in the beginning we hated each other with a passion. But passion does strange things to people and their hearts and I began to wonder what his story was. When I did and my curiosity had been satisfied, I couldn't leave for other reasons. I didn't love him at that point, but I felt close to him. Watching his face as he lost the love of his life for the second time, I knew I couldn't leave him.  
  
And I never did.  
  
Well, except to visit my family on my side of the well. And school, can't forget that. But he'd always come looking for me after a day or two and drag me back to his time. I came to realize that he cared about me almost as much as I cared for him. I just wished he'd listen every once in awhile before throwing a fit that I wasn't back to his era on time. That's what he was planning to do this afternoon. For once, I convinced him to stay for the night and live in the modern world.  
  
He frowned and peered out of the windows. "I can really go out?"  
  
I laughed. "I know it seems strange to you, Inuyasha, but yes."  
  
His ears twitched and I looked at them, longing to rub them. He would never allow me to do that though. Especially not now, when I was winning an argument.  
  
"And no one will look twice at me?"  
  
I put my hand over my heart. "I solemnly swear." At the time, I really didn't think anyone would stare. I guess no one really did. But they did look twice. How was I to know? At least the girl was subtle. We didn't notice.  
  
"So, no hats."  
  
"No!" I sat down next to him exasperated. "Are you going to come or not? I really don't want to go alone, but if I have to, I will. I promised to go after all." I paused and bit my lip. "And if you get bored, we can go. It's only down the street a bit. Although I guess Hojo could walk me home." I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.  
  
I heard a faint growl, and knew I had said the magic words. "Fine. But I better get extra ramen for this."  
  
"Yes, fine. Whatever you want, Inuyasha." I stood and pulled him up to his feet. I went to the table and picked up my cat ears and tucked my tail into the back of my black dance pants. I was glad I kept them after all these years.  
  
Inuyasha studied me. "You don't look a thing like a cat, you know."  
  
I stuck my tongue out at him. "I thought I'd go as a cat hanyou. Ears and everything."  
  
"You don't look like a cat hanyou either," he replied. "And I don't have a tail."  
  
"Hmm. no, but your brother does. besides, I don't have claws or fangs, so this makes up for it." I crouched and drew whiskers on my cheeks with my mother's old eyeliner.  
  
"My brother doesn't have a tail except when he's in dog form."  
  
"Really? I thought the fluffy thing was a tail."  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth and then closed it. He shot me an angry look. "Well, next time he tries to kill you, ask him."  
  
"Hmm. I will." I looked at him. "Let's go. And Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's Halloween. Try to have fun."  
  
"Feh."  
  
A/N: I know, short. I couldn't do much more without encroaching on the rest of the story. THERE WILL BE PLOT! Promising start? No? Well review and tell me! (Flames sure. whatever.) If you ever want Sesshoumaru's answer to the infamous "What is that fluffy thing???" you'd better review! 


	2. Halloween

Golden Fire  
Chapter 1: Halloween  
  
Inuyasha let me put my arm around his, but I knew that he wasn't just indulging me. The loud music and general raucous made him uneasy.  
  
"Is the music hurting your ears?" I asked. I didn't have to yell, so I hoped for the best.  
  
"No, not really. It's okay." He was looking around with a mixture of disgust and awe on his face. I realized that the smell would probably be overpowering, but before I could ask, he spoke again. "What are those people doing?" He pointed to the middle of the living room.  
  
I stifled a laugh. "They're dancing, silly."  
  
He snorted. "You call that dancing?"  
  
I couldn't reply because my friend came up to me. "Hana! Hi! Thanks for inviting us. me." I shot a glare towards Inuyasha, but he wasn't looking.  
  
Hana was dressed as an angel. She wasn't a close friend, but even I knew that she must have chosen it for its irony. "Kagome! And who's this?" She gave a seductive glance towards Inuyasha.  
  
"Just a friend. Inuyasha." I said his name before I could stop myself. Hana stopped staring at him and turned to me. I felt Inuyasha turn towards me and I mentally slapped myself.  
  
"Interesting name. Well, I hope you guys have fun!" She bounced away.  
  
"What was that for? Isn't that kinda obvious when you call me the demon that I am?" His tone was angry but his eyes told the truth. He was happy that I had slipped up for once. Oh, I'd never live this one down.  
  
At that moment, I noticed a girl watching us. She had on pants, a tank top, a jacket and boots. They were all made of black leather. "She must be going for a Matrix look," I told myself. I should have taken more notice of her then. She was clearly older than everyone in the room by at least two years. It was my own mistake when I turned from her gaze and joined the party.  
  
A few hours later, Inuyasha and I were slowly walking back to the shrine. I was surprised to learn that he had enjoyed the party and wished to know when the next Halloween was.  
  
"It's only once a year. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. But I promise to bring you to a party every year on Halloween."  
  
He scoffed. "Hey. I didn't enjoy it that much. Don't get ideas in your head."  
  
"Oh, our poor little hanyou feels left out."  
  
"Oh, shut up, will you? Feh. humans. They never leave a guy alone."  
  
I sighed and went inside. Souta was still up and awake, counting his candy while Grandpa and Mom watched. We greeted them and barely had closed the door when the doorbell rang.  
  
"Now, who could that be?" My mom opened the door. "Oh, hello. You must be one of Kagome's friends." She stepped aside and let the visitor in. But the girl was not one of my friends. She was the girl in leather from the party. When I didn't greet her, my mother frowned. "Excuse me, are you sure you have the right house?"  
  
The girl wasn't smiling. She looked at my mother and then at me and Inuyasha. "You are Higurashi Kagome, are you not?"  
  
"Yes. Who are you?" I put my hand on Inuyasha's arm, which had moved to draw out Tetsusaiga. "I recognize you from the party, but I don't think we've ever met."  
  
"No," she agreed, "we didn't. I am Yuki. I admit that I was at that party to find you."  
  
I looked at her. She didn't look anything except tired so I offered her a seat and asked her to explain.  
  
"Thank you," she said. She settled down next to my grandfather. Even Souta stopped counting his haul to look at Yuki. "Kagome, if I may call you that, I really don't want to be melodramatic, but I must be for sake of time. People want to kill you and are coming soon."  
  
Silence fell. Then I laughed. "This must be a joke. And if it isn't a joke of humans, it must be a joke of the gods. I'm always in danger!"  
  
Yuki glared at me and stood up. I stopped laughing and realized that her small frame was quite overpowering. She crossed her arms. "This is serious. You will die if you stay here. The reason I know is that I am one of the many sent to kill you." She reached under her jacket on both sides and pulled out guns with silencers. My mother gave out a silent scream and my grandfather put his head in his hands. Inuyasha hesitated a moment, not knowing what the strange metal objects were, but soon realized they were dangerous. In a flash, Tetsusaiga was drawn and pointed at Yuki.  
  
She held up her arms and slowly placed the guns on the table before her. I was the only one who hadn't moved. "Who are you?" I asked her.  
  
Yuki looked at me. "Isn't it obvious? I told you. I'm Yuki. I'm an assassin hired to kill you."  
  
"But I'm still here."  
  
She waved her hand at me. "That does not matter. I could have killed you two weeks ago when the assignment was given to me, but I didn't. I was told to kill Higurashi Kagome and steal the jewel around her neck. But I became curious. I am the best assassin my employers have, and yet they send me to kill a little girl? I am no common thug. I reminded them that I do not kill children and I only kill women when they threaten my own life. They told me that you were a youkai. They expected me to believe in fairy tales because I worked for them. They expected me to act like a common thief, to steal a rock from a dead girl's neck."  
  
"They must have paid you though," I said. I realized quickly that it sounded like encouragement for her to kill me.  
  
She sent a piercing stare towards me. "Money or no, I have my own values to uphold. I came to investigate before I killed you. If you had been a youkai, I might have done it, but so clearly you were not. By rejecting an order, I have signed my own death warrant with the Yakuza. I have already killed three thugs sent to murder me. Next time they will not be so careless. They'll send an assassin. They will send my arch-rival, known only as Black Death." She paused and looked at Souta, whose eyes were filled with fear. That's when I noticed he was still there, listening to a girl talking about the impending death of his sister. Yuki turned her attention back to me, and her eyes softened. "Do not be fooled. They have not forgotten about you. I have kept watch over you for the past two weeks, but soon they'll send an army to kill a girl."  
  
"No way! Nothing is going to happen to her!" Inuyasha still had Tetsusaiga drawn. I could see that he didn't trust Yuki, although she had clearly risked her life to simply see me.  
  
She closed her eyes and her voice dimmed down to a whisper. "You are right. Nothing will happen to Kagome. If I must leave the Yakuza, then I must employ myself to another. If she is willing, I will protect her with my life until the threat has passed."  
  
I stood up to face her. "No, Yuki. I'm flattered that you are willing to do these things, but I have somewhere to go. A place I know I'll be safe in."  
  
"And your family?" she asked.  
  
I bit my lip. "But they're looking for me. Why would they hurt them?"  
  
Yuki gave a short, cruel laugh. "Why do cats hunt even though they are fed in warm homes? Why do dogs bark to protect borders they have no control over? Because it's in their blood, and to them, it is the essence of living."  
  
My mother came over to me. "Kagome, go and escape. Take Inuyasha with you. I know he'll protect you. Let us worry about ourselves."  
  
I sat down and put my head on my hand. "So they're all trying to kill me for a jewel they probably know nothing about."  
  
Yuki nodded. "I know these men. I have been working for them for years and have been watching them that entire time. They don't know why this jewel is important. I am myself knowledgeable in the legend of the Shikon no Tama, but until I saw you two weeks ago, I thought it was just a myth. The stories tell of its great power, but I do not think that is enough to motivate my bosses. They are vicious leaders of a vicious gang and have many talents, but wisdom is not among them. I believe the Yakuza has fallen to a greater power. What that is, I cannot say."  
  
Inuyasha bent down beside me. "Kagome, let's go. You should be safe."  
  
I was so lost in my own thoughts that his uncharacteristic kindness did not strike me as odd. Instead I looked towards my family. "Mom, Grandpa, Souta, I'm not leaving you here to wonder if you're going to die for my sake. You're all going to come with me. You can stay with Kaede."  
  
Yuki picked up her guns slowly and put them back under her jacket. "Kagome, I must come with you. I have no life here and can protect you with my guns better than this boy can protect you with his blade."  
  
Inuyasha growled at this but said nothing. I only looked at her. "Yuki, I don't mean to be rude. But you would never believe where I'm going for refuge and if what you say is true, I don't have time to explain. Believe me when I say there are dangers there that only Inuyasha can handle. As unlikely as this sounds, you'll be safer here. I'm sure you'll escape."  
  
She stared at me. "Kagome, I have been following you for two weeks. I know about the well."  
  
A/N: There - a longer chapter. Mainly because I'm going away for a few days and won't be here to update. But don't worry! If you're hooked (as you should be. haha) then you'll get another fix in a few days. Yuki will accompany the others down the well and then she's got some splainin' to do. Side note - I'm really trying to keep this fic centered on Kagome and Inuyasha, although this chapter really doesn't convey that (predictably. someone needed to explain things.) So if I don't go enough into the whole IY/K side of things enough for you guys, tell me!  
  
REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! 


	3. Through the Well

Golden Fire  
Chapter 2: Through the Well  
  
We all stared at Yuki. "When you said you had been following me, I didn't think you meant constantly," I blurted out.  
  
The assassin shrugged. "It was the only way to keep you safe. But now is not the time, Kagome. Pack and be ready in thirty minutes. I'll be back before then."  
  
"Hey, wench! You think you can drop this all on Kagome and then leave?" Inuyasha's eyes glittered with anger.  
  
"I told you I was going to return. If I'm going to be exiled to the past, I should bring along some necessities." With that said, she left us.  
  
We packed in relative silence. I could hear my mother fretting about what kind of clothes and how much she could bring. I sent Inuyasha down the hall to assure her that he could carry whatever she packed. He went out grumbling and returned a few moments later with a red face. "What's wrong with you?" I asked, as I shoved extra socks into my bag. After years of going back and forth, I could pack in five minutes flat.  
  
"She was packing her. under-things," mumbled Inuyasha, flushing a brighter red.  
  
I laughed a little. "Well, as long as she wasn't just wearing them, that's okay." I brushed the hair out of my face and realized that I would be without a hot shower for a long time. Thank the gods for hot springs. A thought struck me and I frowned. "Oh, Inuyasha, what am I going to do about school?"  
  
"Feh."  
  
"A lot of help you are." I sat on my bed and mentally checked off all my belongings. Well, at least I wouldn't be needing my schoolbooks this time.  
  
"Kagome?" called a voice. A few seconds later, Yuki was at my door. "Good. You are ready. As am I." She patted the small duffel bag hanging on her shoulder. "We should start moving our belongings to the well. I fear the attack will be tonight and I do not wish to make more than one trip."  
  
"But there's only one jewel, and my whole family has to use it to get through."  
  
"I see. Inuyasha? Will you take some of our bags to the other side of the well? I know you do not require the assistance of the jewel." She held her bag out.  
  
A few minutes and many more complaints from Inuyasha later, my family stood next to well. Buyo sat in Souta's arms while my mother gazed at the house where she and my father had spent their married lives. We all wondered if we would see the shrine again.  
  
Inuyasha and Yuki both looked up suddenly. "They're coming. I can hear them," he said.  
  
Yuki looked annoyed. "Can't they just give up for once?" she muttered. She pulled out her guns and walked to the entrance of the building. "Go. Quick as you can."  
  
I grabbed Souta and my mother and jumped into the well with them. Behind me came Inuyasha, carrying my grandfather. "Where's Yuki?" I asked as we landed.  
  
"Feh. Said she would watch out. Said she'd guard the well 'til we got back." He jumped out of the well and placed Grandpa on solid ground.  
  
"Mom, wait here until I get back. See if you can climb up."  
  
"I'm not that old Kagome. I know how to climb. Glad I wore pants though." She grabbed the vines and helped Souta with Buyo.  
  
Back in my time, Inuyasha and I listened carefully. "I can hear her breathing, Kagome," he whispered. "But men are in your house and a few are outside the building." He grabbed my waist and jumped up and out silently. We grabbed our things and motioned to Yuki to join us.  
  
She gave me a wide-eyed, silent refusal, and I shrank into the shadows when I saw why. The silhouette of a man fell across the doorway. Inuyasha pushed me behind him and crouched to attack. Before he could, there was a harsh wisp of noise and the man crashed into the doorway. His gun skid across the ground.  
  
"Matsu!" A harsh voice rang out. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Matsu?"  
  
"Go! Now!" she hissed. Yuki wildly pointed at the well. She stood and shot through the doorway again. I barely saw her move; her grace was a shock in comparison to her rigid attitude. I realized in a moment that the wisp I had heard was the silenced gun. I almost turned to Inuyasha and explained my foolish thought that it was the sound of his soul leaving his body. Outside, the man with the harsh voice groaned loudly in pain. Shouts could be heard from my house.  
  
Inuyasha grabbed me and jumped into the well, pulling Yuki in at the last moment.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///* ///*///  
  
"Well, child, ye have had an exciting day." Kaede poured out some tea for all of us. My mother and grandfather stared around them in wonder. I knew what they felt like, because I had gone through the same thing years ago. They felt as if they were in a storybook. It was all so ancient and forgotten that even my grandfather didn't have words to describe it.  
  
While Souta was supervising the introduction of Buyo and Kirara, I introduced everyone to Yuki. Miroku beamed at Yuki until Sango hit him on his head.  
  
"What was that for, my lady Sango?"  
  
"I could see that disgusting question forming in your head, so I decided to stop it before it came out."  
  
"I'm sure I don't know what my lady is talking about."  
  
"Be quiet, monk."  
  
"As my lady wishes."  
  
I told my friends what Yuki had told me only an hour before. They took it surprisingly well, considering that the stranger in front of them was a killer. Hadn't I just seen that with my own two eyes a few moments ago? I almost retched, but then remembered that she had killed those men to buy us time. Whoever heard of an assassin with a conscience? Or at the very least, a heart? I shook my head. She was saving herself too. I had to learn to not trust that everyone had a purely good soul.  
  
Souta was beginning to yawn and Kaede was laying out extra blankets for my family. I turned to Yuki. "Come on, if you're going to help us, you should know what's going on."  
  
She nodded and followed me outside. We sat on a log on the outskirts of town and I began the story. I began with Naraku's evil plans and how they unfolded. I told her of Kouga and his dead clan brothers. I told her of Sesshoumaru trying to steal Tetsusaiga. I told her of Miroku's wandering hands and Sango's pain over her lost family. Finally, after the story up until our meeting had been explained, I told her of Inuyasha and the confusing feelings that even saying his name brought up in my heart. By this time, I was leaning on her shoulder and crying silently.  
  
Somehow, I knew I could trust her. This strange, cold woman with a heart of rock would never betray my confidence. She patted my shoulder but nothing more. When I recovered and sat up, I found her to be looking at the stars. Then she spoke. "It is amazing how a single star can become a part of something as beautiful as this." She spread her arms. Her voice held no emotion but I knew that what she was saying was important. "Our own sun is part of this to another world, and although those other worlds would not care if it was extinguished, it would kill us. It is amazing. To watch a star die is possibly the most crushing experience I could think of."  
  
I wondered what she could mean by her speech. She herself extinguished life regularly. I might have been young, but I knew what power the Yakuza had, and if she was their most powerful assassin, she must have had many opportunities to show her talents.  
  
"Did you kill both those men at the shrine?" I asked her.  
  
She kept her eyes forward. "No. I only killed the first one. The second I shot in his arm, so he wouldn't be able to shoot you."  
  
"It took you a half second to do that. That's amazing aim. And as an archer who still frequently misses my mark, I know good aim." I was in awe of her deadly skill.  
  
"I had much time to practice. My father insisted upon it, as did the Yakuza men after him." She smiled wistfully.  
  
"Yuki, how old are you?" It seemed like an innocent question at the time.  
  
She looked at me. "Kagome, forgive me. I ---"  
  
"Kagome!" my mother called from Kaede's door. "Get inside. You'll die of cold out here."  
  
I smiled sympathetically at my new friend. "Sorry. What mom says, daughter does. You can tell me tomorrow, okay?"  
  
Yuki nodded, keeping her indifferent gaze in place.  
  
A/N: I haven't gotten ANY reviews (cept 2 from a dear friend of mine - thanks chica)! *Cries* Please, please, please, if you read this, review too. I need motivation and feedback to continue, eh? 


	4. The Discussion

Golden Fire  
Chapter 3: The Discussion  
  
The next morning, we began to lay plans during breakfast. We had lots of questions on our minds that no one had answers to. Who told the Yakuza to attack me? Would my family and I ever get to go home again? Would I ever be safe again?  
  
Yuki remained silent throughout breakfast. Afterwards, she stood up and asked Kaede where the best swordsmith in the area lived.  
  
"Awhile to the west, child. Ye have to go past three other villages to get there. Why do you ask, child?"  
  
Everyone stopped talking and looked at Yuki. "I have a duffel bag full of ammunition and a few other guns, but that will not last a lifetime. I must use swords whenever possible. I will not be gone for long, hopefully." She shouldered a bag with her clothes and put on her boots. I had been surprised when I learned she always dressed in black and usually in leather. She claimed that she liked to look the part of an assassin. I had laughed and said that she might want to discard the leather dusters then. Today she was wearing a short, simple leather jacket.  
  
"You're not going anywhere alone, wench. How do we know we can trust you?" Inuyasha glared at her.  
  
"Inuyasha! She saved my life! And besides, she's right. She needs other weapons. No one can make bullets here. And the rest of us can't go to help her. It would take up time we could spend planning on how to get me home again," I said.  
  
He looked at me, and his ears drooped. "Fine. Whatever. We'll stay here to plan so you can go home." He almost spat out the last word.  
  
Sango stood up and walked over to Yuki. "Take Kirara with you. If you have trouble, she'll be able to help or come back here to get us."  
  
Yuki nodded her thanks and, after scooping up a sleeping Kirara, walked out.  
  
The rest of us remained around the fire in Kaede's hut. "Obviously, someone in Kagome's time has learned of the jewel's existence and wants its power," began Miroku. "Logically, we should simply complete the jewel and purify it permanently. Or destroy it." He looked at Inuyasha, who said nothing in return.  
  
"Naraku has most of the remaining shards," I replied. "Does this mean we're going to have to wage a final battle against him?"  
  
"How will we do that? How do we know that we're not just fighting an army of puppets? We need to kill the actual Naraku, and that will take a lot of power," Sango pointed out.  
  
"You're right. We need help. Inuyasha, I know you hate him, but I think we should ask Kouga and his wolf brothers to help us," I said.  
  
At this, Inuyasha sprang to life again. "No way! I don't need that guy's help!" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Besides, he'll just spend his time sniffing around you, Kagome."  
  
"Oh, Kagome! You didn't tell me you had an admirer," my mother said, breaking into our conversation.  
  
I stared at her and then blushed. "It's not like that, mom. He and Inuyasha just have a bit of a misunderstanding."  
  
"Yeah," sniffed Inuyasha, "I understand that he's an jackass, and he doesn't."  
  
I sighed and turned to Miroku, who was trying to sneak his hand onto Sango's backside. She smacked him without flinching. They hadn't been listening.  
  
"Don't worry, Kagome," said Shippou. "Inuyasha will realize that we need Kouga's help. Maybe he'll even realize what an idiot he's being and decide to take you for himself."  
  
I blushed again. Inuyasha stood up, as red as his shirt, and chased Shippou into the street.  
  
"You know, your father was just as shy about his feelings for me for the longest time. He wasn't quite as possessive though," my mom mentioned.  
  
"Mother!"  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Hours later, we were eating lunch in the meadow next to the well. Inuyasha had gone down it, only to return with the news that my once beautiful home was wrecked and smelled like evil.  
  
"Don't worry, Kagome," Sango reassured. "After this is all over, we'll come and help you repair it."  
  
I smiled at her words. Miroku and Sango had never gone to my time, saying that they preferred the quiet life of demon exterminating. She was really worried to say such a sweet thing.  
  
Inuyasha was in a better mood since he had returned from my time. That is, until I pointed out that he wouldn't get ramen for quite some time, if ever.  
  
After lunch, he took me aside. "Kagome, I don't want Kouga here. He's worse than Miroku when you're around."  
  
"Inuyasha, my family is in danger until we solve this thing. I'm not going to take any nonsense from him." I paused and saw the look of triumph on his face. "Or you, Inuyasha."  
  
"Feh. I behave better than that mangy animal!" He turned away from me.  
  
I walked back to where my mother was beginning to clean up. Suddenly, I felt winded as Inuyasha grabbed me and ran to the side of the clearing. "Hey! What're you doing?"  
  
"Something's coming," he said as he set me down and ran back to the others. "Stay there!" he yelled over his shoulder. He gathered my family and pushed them away from the well. Sango followed them, since she had not brought her boomerang with her.  
  
Shippou ran to me as Miroku and Inuyasha faced the well. "I can smell it too, Kagome! It's trouble, I'm sure it is." I held him tightly as I watched a man jump from the well.  
  
He was dressed completely in black and had his face was covered, only exposing his eyes. It sent chills down my spine. His eyes were blood red and savage. As soon as he saw Inuyasha with Tetsusaiga, he drew out his own sword.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" roared Inuyasha.  
  
The man just laughed and I was surprised to hear a human-sounding laugh. Evil and merciless, but human nonetheless. He lunged forward and attacked Inuyasha, who fended him off. The man's movements were the most fluid I had ever seen in battle. I felt a jolt of recognition. Yuki moved like that on the night that she saved us. This man was an assassin. I would have bet my life that it was Black Death.  
  
"Miroku! Your wards!" yelled Sango.  
  
Miroku instantly heeded her advice and tossed a ward towards the man. Halfway through the air, the assassin's sword changed direction and sliced the ward in two. Inuyasha's eyes grew wide.  
  
I looked down to the fox demon in my arms. "Shippou! Is that thing human or demon?"  
  
"I don't know, Kagome! All I can smell is evil and death. I can't tell!" He buried his head into my shoulder.  
  
Inuyasha was barely able to fend off Black Death's blows. Miroku couldn't open his windtunnel without sucking in my family, Inuyasha or myself. He was forced to stand on the sidelines and watch helplessly.  
  
Suddenly, the assassin stopped and jumped back onto the edge of the well.  
  
"Well? What are you waiting for?" yelled Inuyasha.  
  
Black Death's eyes narrowed and focused on the trees directly to my left. I strained my ears but I could not hear anything. Shippou, however, raised his head and looked expectantly in the same direction.  
  
The assassin hissed loudly and sheathed his sword. Then, he took a step backwards and fell into the well. As Inuyasha ran forward to look into the well, I heard quick footsteps. I felt the power of two jewel shards fill my senses.  
  
"Kagome, are you alright?"  
  
I turned to see Kouga's concerned brown eyes.  
  
A/N: STILL no reviews??? (I think ff.net did kinda mess up, but still .) Please, please, please review. I'll even take flames! Whatever! 


	5. The Troops Gather

A/N: Still no reviews? That makes me want to cry! Um, yeah. Well, enjoy and here's Kouga!  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 4: The Troops Gather  
  
"I smelled evil and gathered my brothers. What's wrong? Did dog turd hurt you?" asked Kouga. Twenty wolf demons stood behind him, keeping their distance but obviously listening.  
  
"Hey! Get away from her!" Inuyasha walked up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder to pull me back.  
  
I smiled at Kouga. "I'm fine. I think you scared away that man." I turned to Inuyasha. "He is gone, right?"  
  
Inuyasha snorted, which I took as a yes.  
  
"Kouga, I need to ask a favor."  
  
"Anything for my woman."  
  
I blushed for the millionth time that day. "We've decided to complete this jewel once and for all. We'd like to get your help."  
  
Kouga frowned and looked down. "I will be much weaker without the shards in my legs, Kagome. But, well, anything for you. Wolves mate for life." He smiled. It was weak, but it was there.  
  
Inuyasha growled.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Kouga and his wolf clan slept nearby for the next few nights. He and Inuyasha constantly fought, of course. And my mother couldn't help but smile and give me a wink every time. I was blushing more often than not.  
  
The fighting wasn't restricted to just the two hotheads of the group. Black Death's appearance had put everyone on edge, even though Miroku (and my grandfather, much to Miroku's exasperation) had put every possible ward on the well to prevent him coming back. But days passed and there were no further signs of our newest enemy. Slowly, we began to settle down.  
  
About five days after the fight, Yuki came back. She brought a beautiful sword with her that many of us were delighted to see and hold. Inuyasha even remarked that he was amazed that a human could do so well on a sword. Yuki chose to take it as a compliment.  
  
When I told her about the man in black, her eyes darkened. "Yes," she said slowly, "I agree that it must have been Black Death. Why he came here I do not know, but I suppose he was sent to search your house, found the well and crossed over. I do not know how though. I am surprised to find you all alive if you really met him. He is a difficult opponent for even me to defeat."  
  
I furrowed my brow. "But if he really is from our time, why didn't he use guns? Like you do? And what do you mean? I thought you were the best assassin the Yakuza had."  
  
Yuki smiled one of her cold smiles. "Assassins do not kill for prestige or money. They kill for the challenge. I am sure he had guns with him, but he saw that none of you did, and so he drew his sword."  
  
"Just to make it interesting?"  
  
She nodded. "Just to make it interesting, as you say. As for your other question, I was indeed the best the Yakuza had. But mainly because they had control over me. They knew where I lived, who I was. They knew some of my secrets. Yet nothing is known about Black Death. Not even his real name or what he looks like. The Yakuza likes having control. By not having a weakness, Black Death has insured his safety, but he has also insured that he will never be trusted or used in any but the most dire situations. I suppose this has become a dire situation."  
  
"Secrets?" I questioned.  
  
"Yes, secrets," Yuki whispered. She hesitated and then walked out.  
  
Kouga took me aside a few hours later. "I'm not sure you should trust that Yuki."  
  
I frowned. "Why not? She hasn't done anything but help."  
  
"I smell fear on her. I'm surprised that dog turd hasn't noticed it. Fear and guilt."  
  
"That's easy enough to explain. She's afraid of this Black Death and she probably feels guilty for not being here to defend us." I crossed my arms and stepped a few feet back. I knew that Inuyasha was watching from somewhere. I didn't want to cause another fight.  
  
Kouga shook his head. "No, she has no fear of Black Death. I smelled it from the instant she walked into the old woman's hut. It's an old smell. I think she's guilty of something and fears us finding out." He closed the distance between us again and put his hand on my arm. "I think I'll sleep closer tonight. I cannot lose you, Kagome. Especially to someone you obviously trust too much." He pulled me into a hug. I stood stiffly for a few moments, until finally relaxing. Why shouldn't I enjoy this? How long had it been since Inuyasha reached out his hand in comfort? Kouga was at least kind to me, even if he was a bit stubborn.  
  
I finally backed out of his embrace and smiled awkwardly. "Um, thanks, Kouga. I'll keep what you said in mind."  
  
"I will not see you hurt, Kagome. That includes being hurt emotionally by dog boy."  
  
So he knew about my feelings for Inuyasha. I stared at him, but he seemed unaffected by my surprise. "I . . . I have to go now, Kouga." I walked slowly back to Kaede's hut, replaying what just happened over and over in my head. It seemed like someone else's life.  
  
Everyone was sitting around the fire. Everyone except Inuyasha. Yuki and Shippou were the first to look up when I came in. They were both frowning and I realized that I had a sloppy little smile on my face. I immediately wiped it off.  
  
Inuyasha stormed in moments later and huffed about in the corner, ignoring the others' concerned inquiries. I remained silent. My mother gave me a knowing glance and I relaxed a little. At least one person understood.  
  
As soon as Kouga came in (eliciting a growl from Inuyasha and a blush from myself), we began to discuss what we should do. The wolves were getting restless yet we still had no idea how to stop the threat against my family.  
  
Miroku cleared his throat. "Now, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think we should make another powerful alliance." He nodded in acknowledgement to Kouga. "I think we need to make peace with Sesshoumaru."  
  
Silence followed this statement. Kouga looked absolutely flustered at the idea of going into battle with the Lord of the Western Lands. Sango and Shippou looked confused. Inuyasha looked downright furious. He recovered from the shock first. "There is no chance in hell that I'm going to ask that jerk of a brother to help! He'll just try to kill us the first chance he gets! No! No way!"  
  
I was deep in thought myself. Sesshoumaru was a vicious killer, true. But that could come in handy, especially if Black Death showed up again. Maybe we could convince him to have a temporary alliance. Until Naraku is defeated. I looked up and into Inuyasha's eyes. He quickly averted them, but I kept my gaze on him. "Inuyasha, your brother could be a valuable asset."  
  
"Feh. Maybe. But unless we decide to give him Tetsusaiga, which is not happening, he'll just laugh and try to kill us. As usual." He crossed his arms and sat down.  
  
"No," I agreed, "we aren't going to give him Tetsusaiga. But we have something that might be of considerable value to him."  
  
"What, wench? He doesn't care about the Shikon jewel, even if it was whole."  
  
"I know that, Inuyasha. But we do have his arm. And I'm thinking that it's a pain to have to replace it often or live without it altogether."  
  
He stared at me with his mouth open.  
  
Sango turned to me. "That might actually work, Kagome. We might have some bargaining power now. Sesshoumaru's skills really would help in a big battle."  
  
"Yuki? What do you think?" I looked at the assassin. She had been strangely quiet.  
  
Now she turned to me with eyes that seemed almost dead. "Kagome, I have sworn to protect you, your family and your friends. This Sesshoumaru obviously does not fall into any of those categories. But I respect your wishes in a matter that I cannot fully understand. If he helps, I will be his ally. If he tries to hurt us, I will be his enemy." She became silent once more. Her fingers kept brushing across her covered shoulder as she stared off into the distance.  
  
After more arguments, we finally cajoled Inuyasha into attempting a peace.  
  
That's how, the next morning, we all happened to be setting out for Sesshoumaru's lair. 


	6. Sesshoumaru's Secret

Golden Fire  
Chapter 5: Sesshoumaru's Secret  
  
We traveled west for two days. More and more, we began to feel as if we were walking into the lion's den. Thank the gods I had refused to bring Souta. On the other hand, I could have used the company. Inuyasha was completely ignoring me and my sadness over that fact drove everyone else, including Kouga, away.  
  
Sango and Miroku walked behind me. I could hear each and every slap. The monk just didn't give up. I'd have to talk to that boy. Maybe when things were settled with Inuyasha and me. Then I sighed. Things would never be settled between us. He'd always be a stubborn pig and I'd always be alone.  
  
We settled down to make camp at the end of the second day. Kouga had left his wolf brothers to protect Kaede's village, so he himself volunteered to go hunt. Inuyasha shook himself out of his quiet stupor for the first time in days. "No, I'll go hunt."  
  
"What? A dog turd like you? Can you hunt at all? Ha! Leave it to me, dog boy. No one equals a wolf while hunting."  
  
I watched in exasperation as they compared hunting skills. I didn't have the heart to tell them that we still had food that Kaede gave to us.  
  
Suddenly, I felt a demon aura coming. It was coming fast too. I looked at the angry canines. "Hey guys?" I asked weakly.  
  
"I'm the youkai! I'm superior in everything to you, Inuyasha!"  
  
"Guys?" With their superior hearing, you'd think they'd hear me. They continued to ignore my attempts to get their attention.  
  
"Oh whatever, jackass. You think we want to eat some dirty wolf kill? Me and Tetsusaiga will find something that actually tastes like real food!"  
  
"Baka!" I yelled. "There's a demon coming!" They stopped and turned to me. Inuyasha began to sniff the air.  
  
He frowned. "Well, at least we won't have to spend any more of our precious time looking for him."  
  
Yuki stood up, went into the shadows and pulled out her sword. She nodded towards me. "Just in case, Kagome."  
  
"A what do you plan to do with a sword you silly little girl? Cut up vegetables?" The voice echoed over the clearing. Yuki let out a growl similar to Inuyasha's and slipped so far into the shadows that I couldn't see her. I smiled, knowing that if we needed her, Yuki's assassin skills could come in handy in a few moments.  
  
Soon, Sesshoumaru stood before us. He was alone for the moment, but I knew Jaken must be close by. Tokijin was out and in Sesshoumaru's hand. Almost lazily he looked at Inuyasha and said, "Well, little brother? I heard you were looking for me. Time to end it, I suppose? Well, at least I won't be left to wait for the Tetsusaiga anymore."  
  
I walked forward. The youkai lord raised an eyebrow, but waited for me to speak. "Actually, Sesshoumaru, we have a proposal to make. And not about the Tetsusaiga."  
  
He hesitated and then sheathed Tokijin. "And what makes you think I want to make any deals with you?"  
  
"Because we have something you want. Something you're missing." I gestured to his empty left sleeve.  
  
His golden eyes narrowed. "I'm listening."  
  
"Help us kill Naraku and complete the Shikon no Tama. We'll give your arm back and everyone will go their separate ways."  
  
"Why should I care about your little dispute with Naraku? Why should I trust any of you?"  
  
I frowned. "We're all people of our word. In fact, we'll give you your arm back now, if you wish. Once you've promised to help, that is."  
  
Sesshoumaru looked hesitant. I knew my idea appealed to him at the same time as well as appalled him. "Again, I have no reason to fight Naraku. He is no concern of mine."  
  
"Is that correct, my lord?" came Yuki's voice. She stepped out of the shadows, with her sword still drawn. A little girl in a checked kimono was following her. It was Rin. Yuki continued. "Imagine my surprise when I heard a little girl's voice in the forest. She was with someone called Jaken, a name I've heard in connection with you many times, Sesshoumaru. You must care about this little human girl. I bet Naraku has noticed that."  
  
The youkai lord's eyes flashed red. I barely saw him move before I realized he had Yuki by the throat and pinned to a tree. Her feet were dangling two feet off the ground. Why didn't she move? I knew she had her guns. What was she doing?  
  
"Vermin!" she spat. "I can't believe I was willing to give you a chance. And here you are, taking a little girl away from her own kind and exposing her to your violent ways!"  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes stopped glowing and he began to sniff the air. I saw surprise flash across his face as he let Yuki drop to the ground and stepped back. She knelt and coughed for a few moments while everyone watched in silence. The little girl stood next to her and patted her back. "There, there. Rin will take care of you. Rin takes good care of people, like Sesshoumaru-sama."  
  
I looked back and forth between Yuki and Sesshoumaru. "What just happened here?"  
  
The youkai lord growled. "Why don't you ask your demon friend?"  
  
I turned to Kouga and Shippou. They both just shrugged. Sesshoumaru growled louder. "Not them! Her!" He pointed to Yuki.  
  
Everyone stared at Yuki, until Kouga scoffed. "No way." He paused and saw Sesshoumaru's glare. "Um, I mean, I hate to disagree, my lord, but she doesn't smell at all like a youkai. I would have noticed before now."  
  
Yuki stood up and I watched her blush. Wow, I thought, a crack in her emotionless mask. Then I realized what the blush must mean. "You mean, you are a youkai?"  
  
She met my eyes but didn't answer. Sesshoumaru walked up to her. "Are you Kaiya?"  
  
Yuki stiffened and was slow to answer. "No, I am not. I am Yuki."  
  
He stepped closer to the assassin. She didn't back up. "Then, why do you smell like her?"  
  
"I do not smell like her."  
  
Sesshoumaru growled. "Yes, you do. And she's dead. Who are you?" He grabbed her and tugged on her jacket, exposing her shoulder. I moved to get a better view and my eyes widened when I saw the mark on her shoulder. A crescent moon, just like Sesshoumaru's. "This is the mark of my family. I put this mark on the shoulder of my future mate. When she died, I never thought I'd see it again. Yet you are here with this mark. Again, I ask, who are you?"  
  
"Wouldn't we all like to know," piped up Inuyasha. He was glaring with mistrust at Yuki.  
  
She sat down and leaned back against the tree. Closing her eyes, she began. "Kaiya was my grandmother. Sesshoumaru's father, Inutaisho, and Kaiya's father, Haruko, were best friends. Haruko commanded the armies under Inutaisho's lordship. Kaiya and Sesshoumaru were betrothed. A perfect match, everyone said. But Kaiya fell in love with a lieutenant in Haruko's army and became pregnant." Yuki glared up at Sesshoumaru. "This monster found out and killed Kaiya's lover and banished Kaiya. She went to China to bear my mother. I was also born in a foreign land and lived there for many years until finally returning to Japan for good in the 1920s."  
  
"You lied, you bitch!" Inuyasha was furious. "I should have known you were planning with Sesshoumaru from the beginning!"  
  
I sighed. He was a real idiot sometimes. "Inuyasha, sit!" He landed face- first as I walked to Yuki. "This is the secret that the Yakuza knew, wasn't it? This is what you tried to tell me all those times?"  
  
Yuki nodded. "The Yakuza kept the secret of my long demon life in return for my service. If they hadn't done that, I'm sure someone in the government would have noticed me. Questions would have followed."  
  
I looked at Miroku and Sango. They smiled at me and nodded their acceptance. They had already forgiven Yuki. I turned to Inuyasha. "She tried to tell me, Inuyasha. And as for Sesshoumaru, she hardly loves this jerk. He totally ruined her family name."  
  
"I will not stand around to be insulted by some human," the youkai warned. Rin stood next to him and grinned at Inuyasha and me. I smiled back.  
  
"Sesshoumaru, our offer still stands," I said. "Yuki is right. Naraku will learn about Rin and take her. Or worse, hurt her."  
  
"She is human. Nothing more than a whim," he argued. I noticed that he said it so that only Inuyasha, Yuki and I could hear. Rin had started to pick flowers out of earshot.  
  
"Hmm. Of course. Well, Naraku could also encroach upon your lands. You don't want that, do you?"  
  
"Let me worry about my lands. If you think that I'll lower myself to travelling with a group of humans and dishonorable youkai, you must be more delusional than I thought, girl."  
  
Yuki looked up at Sesshoumaru. "If you come and help, I will come with you to your castle afterwards and talk to my great-grandfather. Assuming he's still alive that is."  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded. "He is, but what good would that do?" I noticed that he was uncomfortable and could not insult her. Her family must be of high birth, no matter how dishonored.  
  
"If I can talk to him, he can free you from the contract you have with our family. It takes all three of us to break it and until you do, you cannot have a bed companion. I'm thinking that it has been about seventy years, right? That is a long time to be without a woman around."  
  
He looked away. "Eighty-three, actually." I noticed that Miroku had failed to cover Shippou's ears and the little fox demon was tugging on his robes with a questioning look.  
  
"But no one's counting," I chimed in, ending that particular thread of conversation. "What do you say, Sesshoumaru? Peace?" I held out my hand.  
  
He paused and glared at it. Rin tugged on his clothing and held up wildflowers to him. Sighing, he shook hands with me. "I must be insane. But there will be a peace. For now."  
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Even flames! 


	7. The Orb of Sada

Golden Fire  
Chapter 6: The Orb of Sada  
  
Our newest ally sat calmly as he listened to our story. He hardly flinched when I told him of the well and the existence of a different Japan. He nodded solemnly as I described the Yakuza's maniacal desire for the Shikon no Tama. Put that together with the fact that he was actually acknowledging me, a human, and, all in all, he was being a good listener. How can brothers be so different?  
  
"Well," he began, "that certainly explains a lot. Like your odd kimono and the reports I have been receiving."  
  
"What reports?" asked Inuyasha. He eyed his brother suspiciously.  
  
"Of a man robed completely in black who seems to enjoy killing, yet takes no spoils. His victims wear their jewels until thieves or friends find them. Not human, nor demon, as far as anyone can tell."  
  
I shuddered. "That definitely sounds like our guy. I wonder how he made it through the barrier we put on the well though? And why didn't he just come and kill us if he's been around for the past week or so?"  
  
Sesshoumaru looked surprised. "Week? I've been receiving reports like this for three months. I have tried to find him myself several times, but he only holds the scent of evil and death. It is as if he has no scent of his own, and that is very difficult to track."  
  
"That's impossible, Sesshoumaru!" answered Inuyasha. "I would have smelled that guy if he came out of the well in the past three months!"  
  
"Perhaps there is another portal to your woman's time, little brother."  
  
I watched Inuyasha blush as I felt my own blood rise to the surface. He huffed. "She isn't my woman, idiot. And how can there be another portal?"  
  
The youkai lord didn't answer for a few minutes. When he did, his answer came slowly. "Naraku holds much power. If he desired another portal, I have no doubt that he could create one. You say this Yakuza of yours has been under another's influence. Naraku could easily hold sway over some weak humans from the future."  
  
My eyes widened. "But, that would require a tremendous amount of power. Naraku must be more powerful than we originally thought if he can do that."  
  
Sesshoumaru stared at me. "This is happy news, if it is the truth. Instead of two separate foes, you have one. Defeat Naraku and the jewel will be complete and your family can return to your time."  
  
"But how can we defeat him?"  
  
He looked down to Rin, who had fallen asleep at his feet. Even in sleep, she clung to his leg. Finally, he returned his gaze to Inuyasha and me. "I believe that we cannot beat his power before weakening it. For that, we must use the Orb of Sada." Sesshoumaru looked around and saw nothing but blank faces. Instantly, his old sneer was back. "Well, aren't I stuck with a pack of idiots? A powerful youkai seer created the Orb of Sada after prophesizing that only it could defeat the great evil yet to come. It has laid in its resting place for centuries with a barrier that rebuffs anyone who comes near it."  
  
"Then how're we supposed to get it, genius?" growled Inuyasha. He shrugged off the hand that I put on his arm.  
  
"Legend says that the barrier will break to the one who wants to use it for its true purpose. To vanquish the great evil. Who is to say that the great evil is not Naraku?"  
  
"So you want us to go find this dusty old orb that's probably in some damp cave somewhere and hope that this barrier breaks for us?" Inuyasha had stood up and crossed his arms by now. "No way. That wastes way too much time that we could be using to look for shards!"  
  
"Fool!" spat Sesshoumaru, his eyes flashing red again. "This is the only way! Naraku has all the remaining shards! Soon, he will come for you and your weak human friends. And then, you will regret the day you did not heed my words!"  
  
I stood up. "Fine! Fine, Sesshoumaru. We'll go and find this Orb and hope it works. Where is it?""  
  
His eyes returned to their natural amber color. "That is the difficulty of this plan. It lies in a dungeon of the Lord Yama in the center of the Demon City, which is surrounded by perilous mountains."  
  
"So, it should be a piece of cake," muttered Inuyasha. "Fine, I'll go, Sesshoumaru. But don't get any ideas, especially about the Tetsusaiga."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it, little brother."  
  
Inuyasha stalked off. Sesshoumaru shifted his gaze onto me. "I suppose my arm will not be returned tonight?"  
  
I flashed an apologetic look towards him. "Tomorrow, I promise."  
  
He nodded and scooped up Rin. She snuggled into his fur instantly and I could have sworn I saw him give her a tender look. He walked to his part of the camp as I decided to find Inuyasha.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
He wasn't that hard to find. His curses would bring creatures from a mile around, if they had any care to investigate. I watched him for a few moments, mostly because he was aware of my presence and could choose when to acknowledge it. I got impatient, though.  
  
"Why are you ignoring me, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Feh. Go back to camp, wench." He swung Tetsusaiga a few times, with his back turned to me.  
  
"No. Not until you answer me. Why have you been ignoring me?" I walked close enough so that he had to stop practicing with Tetsusaiga. I knew he would never hurt me.  
  
"Go back to camp where you belong. It's safe there."  
  
"Aren't I safe here? I'm with the great Inuyasha after all." I gave him a half-hearted smile, but he didn't notice.  
  
"I told you to go back!" He suddenly pushed me back, almost making me lose my balance. "Go back to him!" He stopped and glared at me, as if I had made him admit something.  
  
"Is this about Kouga? How you spied on us the other day?"  
  
"Hey! I was there to make sure he didn't do anything!"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, Inuyasha, Kouga would never hurt me. And even if he did, it's not like you would care."  
  
"I would care! You're my shard detector and nothing can happen to you until the jewel is completed!"  
  
"Fine, Inuyasha! This is what's going to happen. We finish the jewel, you become youkai, I go home." He looked shocked at my outburst, so I continued before he could recover. "Actually, I think I'll stay here. After all, even if Naraku dies, I might not be safe in my era. I'll just stay here with Miroku and Sango and Shippou." I lowered my voice. "And Kouga. I'll stay with Kouga. At least he cares about me, Kagome, not me, the shard detector."  
  
"And what about me?" His voice sounded hoarse, and although his arms were crossed, his eyes held no anger.  
  
"You do what you want, Inuyasha," I responded, keeping my voice to a whisper. "You want to become youkai and be with Kikyo until she drags you into hell. Just like you promised her. So you can do that. I won't stand in your way."  
  
I turned and walked away, back to camp. Even without demon hearing, I could tell he made no move to follow me. He just stood, staring at my back.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
I returned to camp trembling but dry-eyed. I sat down next to Yuki, who had been silent since her secret had been revealed hours before. Shippou jumped into my lap and hugged me. I felt better instantly. The little kitsune was a good friend, even though he was so young.  
  
He turned to Yuki. "What kind of youkai are you?"  
  
She looked startled at his question, and then noticed the rest of the group turning to hear her answer. "I'm a mixed breed," she answered simply.  
  
"Yeah, I figured that. You don't look like one kind or another. What kinds of youkai are you then?"  
  
Yuki tilted her head. "If you really wish to know, I am half kitsune and half snow demon, hence the name."  
  
"Snow demon?" Shippou studied her. "You don't look like any snow demon I've ever seen. But you're a fox demon? That's so cool!" He bounced up and clapped his hands.  
  
Yuki gave him a rare smile. "It is because I'm half kitsune that you can't tell I'm a snow demon. It's also the reason you could not tell I was a demon at all."  
  
"How does that work?" Miroku asked from across the clearing. Sango watched him warily for a perverted comment, but saw that he was genuinely interested.  
  
"Fox demons specialize in illusions. Many of those tricks you see us do are not actually real. However, they fool the senses into believing it is, in fact, reality. Adult kitsune can become so accomplished that their illusions are indistinguishable from the real thing. I wished to look and smell human, and so it happened. But if I let the façade fall away, I would once again be my normal demon self, quite like Sesshoumaru, Shippou and Kouga."  
  
"Then why could Sesshoumaru smell your youkai blood?" Sango asked.  
  
Yuki shrugged. "I lose my concentration when my life's in danger or when I'm angry. I was both at that moment."  
  
"Do you have a tail?" I let the question slip before I could stop myself. I groaned inwardly. I sounded like Shippou, and now Sesshoumaru's eyes were glaring at me from across the fire.  
  
To my surprise, Yuki gave a slight chuckle. "No, I do not have a tail. I inherited my mother's kitsune skills, but my father's snow demon appearance. I look like a full-blooded snow demon, although I possess hardly any of their powers. I doubt I could put our fire out."  
  
"Don't try," warned Sango. "It's cold enough as it is."  
  
"I'll warm you up, Lady Sango." Miroku moved closer to the demon exterminator, but was only rewarded with a large bump on his head.  
  
"I don't think so, monk." 


	8. The Tomb Opens

Golden Fire  
Chapter 7: The Tomb Opens  
  
I woke to stare into Shippou's eyes. "Morning, Kagome-chan!" he chirped. "Guess what? Yuki said she'd help me develop my youkai powers!"  
  
"Not at six in the morning, I won't," came a grumble from the opposite side of the fire.  
  
I raised my eyebrow at Yuki's change in speech. She clearly wasn't a morning person. She was showing actual emotion again. What was next? Sesshoumaru happily playing checkers with Inuyasha? My heart gave a twist at the thought of the hanyou. He was still ignoring me.  
  
Groaning, I rolled over and stood up. I would never get back to sleep now that Shippou was awake. Now that I had plagued my mind with thoughts of Inuyasha. Besides the kitsune and myself, the camp was quiet with sleep. I picked up my bag and began to walk to the stream nearby.  
  
"Alright, alright!" growled Yuki behind me. Shippou let out a small cry of joy. I giggled, grateful that someone else would be entertaining Shippou for a few moments.  
  
To my surprise, Sango was already in the stream. She grinned at me as I flinched at the cold water. "It's not so bad after it's numbed you beyond caring," she offered.  
  
I settled in and began to wash. "Sango? What do you think about Yuki now?"  
  
She shrugged. "I'm disappointed that our new friend felt she had to hide her true self from us, but I also understand why she did it."  
  
"That's what I thought. We will, however, have an adult female youkai around two male youkai. And that doesn't count Kouga's pack."  
  
"Oh, I don't think it'll change anything. Sesshoumaru isn't interested and Kouga is head over heels in love with you. Any of the pack wouldn't be up to Yuki's standards. I think she was being modest about her lineage. Snow demons are powerful in China, or so I've heard." She dunked underwater to rinse her hair.  
  
I waited for her to reappear. "Actually, I was kinda hoping it would affect things. Kouga should just forget me and go for Yuki. Then we wouldn't have as much tension around here."  
  
She looked at me knowingly. "Allow me to translate. You want Inuyasha to stop being a jealous asshole."  
  
"Sango!"  
  
She shrugged. "It's true. He's being insufferable. And not just to you, everyone has been getting the cold shoulder or worse from him."  
  
We stepped out of the stream and began to dress. "It's not just the normal jealousy," I began. "He saw Kouga hug me and say, well, very protective and rather intimate things to me."  
  
Sango lifted her eyebrow. "Really now? Well, maybe that will just make him realize how intent Kouga is, and how much he needs to claim you faster."  
  
I blushed and decided to turn the tables. "What about you and Miroku? Has he made any 'claims' to you yet?"  
  
She held her head high. "If the pervert really wanted me, he'd stop chasing every woman that crossed his path. And he'd stop groping me and tell me how he feels. Not how he lusts."  
  
"I wish I had your conviction, Sango."  
  
The demon exterminator smiled sadly at me. "I don't have any more conviction than you do, Kagome. If he came up to me right now, groped me and told me about the dozens of women he's asked to bear his child, and then said he loved me," she paused, "I would still fall into his arms willingly. No matter what I say."  
  
We walked back to camp in silence.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"Can we get this over with?" complained Inuyasha.  
  
Sesshoumaru growled. "Fine, little brother." We all watched as his claw flicked into Inuyasha's golden eye. He didn't even whimper as a small sphere came out and opened into a portal.  
  
"Who's going in?" I asked. Immediately, Sesshoumaru and Jaken jumped through the portal into Inutaisho's tomb, followed by Inuyasha and Kouga. "Well, I guess that answers my question."  
  
We waited in silence for the men to emerge. "This is taking way too long," Shippou pointed out. "They can't be fighting again, can they?" I paled at the thought.  
  
Yuki took Shippou's hand. "Come on, kitsune. Let's practice masking our youkai scents again, okay? You're getting much better." She led him away.  
  
Sango put a hand on my shoulder to reassure me and used the other to smack Miroku.  
  
Twenty minutes later, just as I was about to follow them, Inuyasha came out. The rest were close behind. They all looked annoyed, but no one had a scratch on them. The portal closed and drifted back into Inuyasha's eye.  
  
"What took you so long?" Shippou called from where he was training with Yuki.  
  
Sesshoumaru extended his newly restored left arm and I gasped. "But it's only bone! Where's your skin?"  
  
A skeleton hand flexed and spread, but the Lord of the Western Lands didn't look concerned. "It's been in there for a few years. Of course the flesh has decayed. It will return soon, now that it has been reattached."  
  
"Real bitch to find," muttered Inuyasha, "Searching for a bone among thousands of bones. Thank the gods it had transformed into his human arm again, and hadn't remained as a huge dog leg or we would have had a big problem putting it back on."  
  
Kouga suddenly leapt away from Sesshoumaru. I could see why. Poison was beginning to drip from his skeleton claws. Inuyasha growled and the poison disappeared.  
  
"Calm yourself, little brother. I was just testing it to see that everything was in working order." He curled his hand into a fist and stared at it.  
  
"Well, now that we've got one thing taken care of, I guess we should head to your castle, Sesshoumaru," I said.  
  
"Why would we do that?" he questioned.  
  
I stared at him for a second. "I thought you and Yuki wanted to be released from this contract of marriage thing."  
  
He gave me a harsh glance. "I would like nothing more, but we do not have the two weeks to spare for the trip. We must move in the opposite direction. Towards the village to pick up the rest of the wolf pack and then to the Demon City." He turned from me and walked to his part of camp. However, I noticed the brief look he and Yuki shared. Neither of them looked very happy.  
  
Soon, we were packed and walking back to Kaede's village. It was a nightmare before the first hour had passed. Besides the usual bickering between Sango and Miroku, and Inuyasha and Kouga, there was more to stress about. Sesshoumaru kept flexing his newly restored claws and Jaken's groveling voice gave even Yuki a migraine. Yuki herself kept trying to scout ahead, but constantly returned to deposit a determined kitsune on the ground.  
  
"Shippou, you have got to stop following me. I know you're interested in my kitsune powers, but believe me, I'm not using them while scouting."  
  
"You are too. You're using them right now to hide your scent and real appearance. Why don't you use your real appearance now anyway?" He hopped onto her shoulder and tugged her hair. "You have white hair, right? Not black. You still are trying to look human."  
  
"You'll see my demon appearance soon enough, Shippou. Stay here and practice masking your own scent, okay? I need to scout ahead." She gently placed him on the ground. I could tell she liked the kit, but really was not used to children. What did I expect though? That assassins ran day cares in their time off?  
  
"But you don't need to. We could smell anything from miles away." He puffed out his chest, taking his place among the youkai present.  
  
"For once, I agree with the kitsune," intoned Sesshoumaru from up ahead. "We hardly need you slipping around in the shadows every few moments. You're probably attracting more attention than evading it. So stop acting like a human fool."  
  
Yuki snarled and my eyes widened. She was really annoyed. She tossed her hair and fell to the back of the group. When I looked behind me, she was gone.  
  
Looking ahead I could see familiar hills. It would take the rest of the day and tomorrow to get there, but it still felt like I was coming home again.  
  
I shivered. The air had become icy. True, it was November, but it didn't normally drop ten degrees in two seconds did it?  
  
Suddenly, a black blur passed into my vision and Sango shrieked. Arms wrapped around me in protection. All I could think was that Black Death had attacked. But then, I opened my eyes, which had somehow closed in the last millisecond.  
  
Sesshoumaru was picking himself up off the ground and brushing away grass. He never removed his eyes from the figure in black ten feet away. I was shocked to see that it was Yuki. She was still in her usual leather and her normal human appearance, except that her eyes glowed blue. She was snarling at Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Yuki!" I called. I was confused as to why my friend attacked the Lord of the Western Lands. Surely that meant death?  
  
"Don't," said a voice behind me. It was the voice of the one wrapping me in his arms. It was Kouga. "It's a youkai thing," he continued. "He insulted her abilities and her value to the group and now she must prove that she is a worthy travelling companion." He paused and I noticed he hadn't removed his arms from around my waist and shoulders. "I can just say that she's impressed me already. She tackled him without him even suspecting. I'll bet he's never been more surprised."  
  
But Sesshoumaru didn't look surprised. He looked pissed. They studied each other, crouched and positioned to attack. Slowly, Yuki drew her sword and Sesshoumaru did the same. His eyes were now glowing red.  
  
They moved so fast, I couldn't tell what happened. I heard metal screaming against metal several times in a second. They landed and I examined the damage of the first round. Sesshoumaru's sleeve was torn and his cheek was slightly cut. Yuki had a small gash on her left thigh.  
  
He brought his hand up to the wound and felt blood. He snarled, "You'll pay for that."  
  
Yuki answered with another attack. For ten minutes they fought and neither one seemed to gain much on the other. They were nicked and scratched all over, but they had hardly broken a sweat. I wiggled free of Kouga and started to focus on the fight and found that I slowly was able to discern individual movements. Yuki was the graceful fighter I had originally thought her to be, but Sesshoumaru held more skill. Only Yuki's quick dodges and artful counter blows kept her alive.  
  
They met once again, and it seemed that I didn't need to focus to see what was happening. Everything moved so slowly. They locked weapons, but Sesshoumaru managed to propel her right arm away so that she had to let go of her sword to save her arm from breaking. She spun and reached into her jacket. Before Sesshoumaru could regain his balance, she held her gun to his temple.  
  
"Cheating, are we?" murmured Sesshoumaru. He remained slightly bent, with Tokijin in his right hand. His face was partially turned from us, but I could see that the red glow was gone from his eyes. I realized that he didn't know what Yuki was holding, but instinctively felt that it was dangerous.  
  
"Just using the weapons at my disposal. If it had been a knife, it still would be pointed at your head, Sesshoumaru," she replied.  
  
In a flash, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around hers and flipped her onto her back. The gun now pointed harmlessly away from his body.  
  
She growled at him, but the youkai lord just scoffed in return. "Calm yourself, woman. You have proven your worth." He pulled her to her feet. She stepped back and replaced her gun back into her holster.  
  
Sesshoumaru walked to where Yuki's sword lay. He picked it up and carried it back to her. His face didn't betray any emotion. As she put it back in its sheath, the air turned to its normal temperature again. She turned to us, the audience. "Let's go. We've wasted enough time."  
  
A/N: Cool, huh? Haha. Anyway, I'm starting to get some really great reviews. Keep them coming! Praise, suggestions, flames - I don't care! 


	9. Soil and Clay

A/N: Sorry I took so long to update! See the end of this chapter for a list of my reviewers so far (I love you all!) and notes about this chapter and story in general.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 8: Soil and Clay  
  
On the second day, everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be travelling with five youkai, four humans, one hanyou and a demon cat. Considering that most of us were travelling with former enemies, it was really going well. Yuki and Sesshoumaru hadn't mentioned the fight from the previous day. He even asked to see her "metal contraption" and questioned Yuki about modern era weapons for hours. Kouga and Inuyasha finally backed off of each other, and Miroku was helping take care of Shippou and Rin, instead of groping Sango. In short, everyone was getting along.  
  
I knew it was too good to last.  
  
Slowly, the others seemed to sense it too. Yuki, Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Inuyasha constantly circled the rest of us. They sniffed and watched and slipped away to check on any tiny thing out of place. We were deep into a forest. It had seemed less sinister four days ago. Now it was dark and eerie. Finally, a clearing opened out before us.  
  
We stepped cautiously in. Kouga led the way and I could see his back tensing as he crossed. Yuki took her place behind us. I heard a whisper of fabric and knew that she had drawn her gun. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had drawn their swords. I held my bow lightly, ready to spring into position. Jaken guarded Rin and Shippou in the center of the group. Kirara prowled and wove through our legs.  
  
I silently wondered how we all knew that this clearing spelled death. What was it that gave the air such an oppressive, troublesome feel?  
  
"Oh!" A small cry escaped from Yuki's lips, as if she tripped. I spun around and noticed her guns lying on the ground. Her arms hung limply at her sides. She looked surprised and slightly annoyed. I almost gave her a harsh whisper to hurry and stay with the group.  
  
Then, I noticed the blood on her leather jacket. It flowed down both of her arms and I realized she had been shot twice. Her left shoulder and her right elbow. The blood was dark and thick and moving rapidly. Trying to raise her arms, she growled softly in desperation. She couldn't use her arms now.  
  
I raised my bow and looked around wildly for Black Death. Of course it was him. Who else could hurt Yuki like this? With bullets? Everyone began to mimic me; they spun around, looking for the culprit.  
  
"Over there," Yuki whispered, using her eyes to point to the trees directly to our left. With that, she slowly lowered herself to her knees and bowed her head. I could see that she felt useless now.  
  
He came out looking the same as the day at the well. The black cloth enveloped his body, even the hands that gripped his katana. Behind him, Naraku's poison insects permeated the air. I felt a jolt and realized that youkai surrounded us. Their auras were filled with hate and envy. Kouga's aura came into focus as he placed himself back to back with me. "Don't worry," he murmured, "We will face this together, Kagome."  
  
I rolled my eyes and drew back my bowstring. Black Death walked purposefully into the clearing and I could see his eyes crinkled in amusement. Youkai eyes glowed all around the edge of the clearing. Without a word from either side, Black Death attacked Inuyasha.  
  
The battle was brief. Sesshoumaru immediately sliced up several of the surrounding youkai with the help of Kouga, Sango and myself. Miroku kept the poison insects at bay with his wards and staff, simultaneously protecting a prone Yuki. But they kept coming. They flowed into the clearing. Inuyasha had only exchanged a few blows with Black Death when it became clear that we were outnumbered.  
  
Black Death suddenly jumped back, just in time to avoid a purified arrow hitting the ground where he had been. The battle seemed to freeze around us as we stared at the glowing arrow.  
  
Kikyo stepped out of the forest. I don't think I'd ever been so happy to see Inuyasha's old love. Her pale face still harbored anger and resentment, but right now, it was directed at Black Death. "Leave." She had whispered it, but the word reached across the clearing. Youkai and insects alike were moving away. Black Death alone remained.  
  
He straightened and hissed at Kikyo. "This isn't over, miko." I almost dropped my bow in shock to hear him speak. His voice grated our ears. "He shall have all your lives."  
  
Someone growled (or was it all of us?) as he backed away. We watched him move back into the trees, not even thinking of stopping him. We all knew that we would kill him someday soon. Just not today.  
  
The air became light. It was once again the clearing I remembered from a few days beforehand.  
  
Inuyasha advanced towards Kikyo. "Why are you here?"  
  
"I was following that man. Obviously, he works for Naraku." She looked at us, as if that explained everything that had just happened.  
  
"Why did you save us?" I asked. Kikyo had tried to kill us before. She had also saved us before. We never knew where we stood with her and I wanted to be clear. I could see a question forming in Inuyasha's eyes. I just wanted to feel safe before he asked her.  
  
"It was the right thing to do," she answered. "Naraku is my enemy and you are fighting him. However, this is not a defeat, only a setback. Next time, he will be prepared to deflect my arrows."  
  
"Will you come and help us?" spoke up Inuyasha. I inwardly groaned. He was so predictable.  
  
Kikyo nodded. "Vengeance will be mine, Inuyasha."  
  
Before he could say anything else, I heard a small huff of annoyance. I turned and clapped my hand against my mouth. Yuki still sat on her heels, bleeding from her wounds. "I seem to need a bit of help." She raised her eyebrow at me.  
  
I rushed towards her and tried to inspect the damage, but it was impossible with her jacket. Slowly easing it off her shoulders, I winced to see the holes in her arms. Blood smeared across the crescent moon on her shoulder, but she didn't seem to care that it was exposed to the world now.  
  
"The bullets are still in me," she breathed. I could tell she was trying not to cry out in pain. "You have to dig them out."  
  
I hesitated. "I've never done anything like that before. Hold on." I dove into my bag for bandages, and then noticed someone sitting next to me, in front of Yuki.  
  
Rin clung to his shoulder with silent tears running down her face. "She'll be okay, right, Sesshoumaru-sama? Sesshoumaru-sama will help her?"  
  
We watched in awe, circling around Yuki, as Sesshoumaru gently took her right arm into his hand. His muscles were slowly growing back onto his bone fingers, making them look more disgusting than before, but neither Yuki nor Rin seemed to mind. He lifted his good hand to the hole above her elbow. Quickly, his finger worked its way in, found the bullet and pulled it out. Yuki clenched her jaw but made no sound. He dropped the slug into my hand and repeated the movement with her left shoulder.  
  
I looked at the bloody pieces of metal in my hand. I realized at that moment how much I treasured my friends and how much I would be willing to do to protect them.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"Well, the jacket's ruined."  
  
"Ye are fortunate that is all ye lost," responded Kaede as she washed Yuki's wounds.  
  
Yuki winced every time the cloth passed over the bullet holes. On the other side of the fire, Sango and I watched. The snow demon glanced at me. "These injuries will take a couple days to heal, Kagome. I am sorry I have delayed you."  
  
"No problem. I need a rest after all that's gone on in the past few days."  
  
"Yes, maybe you girls can work out the romantic issues that seem to be plaguing you," interjected my mother. She, Souta and my grandfather had hired some village men to build them a small house near Kaede's and she was constantly running to and from the work site. When I argued that the house was unnecessary, she had scolded me for thinking that they could take advantage of Kaede for so long. "Besides," she had pointed out, "now you'll have another place to stay in this era."  
  
Right now, however, she just looked at us hopefully. I buried my head into my hands while Sango laughed softly. "I don't think our love lives are going to improve anytime soon, Mrs. Higurashi."  
  
"Nonsense. I remember thinking that when Kagome's father . . . Kagome? Where are you going?"  
  
I had stood up and walked to the doorway. "Just out for a second," I told her.  
  
A few yards from Kaede's door, I noticed Shippou, Souta and Rin playing. Sesshoumaru was cleaning youkai blood from Tokijin and I knew he was protecting them. I stopped in front of him. "Yuki says that she can't leave for a couple days. But she seems to be healing fine."  
  
Cold amber eyes glanced at me. "Why should I, Sesshoumaru, care about what happens to the girl?"  
  
I answered his look with a cold glare of my own. "Well, after you cut her up in your stupid little duel, she got shot twice. Considering she's doing you a favor and releasing you from a marriage contract, you would think you'd be more concerned about her health."  
  
"Her death would also release me from the contract," he replied, "since she leaves no female heir. As for the duel, I took it easy on her."  
  
After a few seconds of a shocked stare, I realized that he was serious. Or he had tricked himself into believing he was serious.  
  
"She knows about my restraint in the fight, if that is what you are apprehensive about."  
  
"Then she's a pretty good actress," I spat.  
  
"You have no idea, Kagome." He looked towards the children as they shrieked in joy. I raised my eyebrows. I hadn't realized he knew my name.  
  
He didn't continue, so I decided to give up and walk back into the hut.  
  
Sango and Yuki were eating some stew of Kaede's. I went in search of a bowl for myself. As I looked, I noticed Yuki's duffel bag that was full of extra guns and ammunition in the corner. I turned to the youkai. "Will you teach me to shoot a gun?"  
  
She didn't even look at me. "No."  
  
"Why not?" I was indignant.  
  
"I will not teach you. My reasons are my own."  
  
"Please tell me." Now I was just curious. "I just want to be able to protect the people I love. And even those that I don't. I would even protect Jaken! Well, maybe." I tried to put a light spin on the conversation that had so suddenly spiraled downwards. It didn't work.  
  
Yuki finally turned to look at me. "You don't understand, miko." It was the first time she had ever called me a priestess. "I fear that you will become like me."  
  
"You protect us. You fight for what you believe in. I only wish I was as strong as you!"  
  
She hesitated. "You are much stronger than I ever can be, Kagome. You have true courage. You don't live for self-preservation like I do."  
  
I scoffed. "Really? And what do you call what you did for me? You risked your life for us." I picked up one of the guns in the bag and placed it into her hand. It couldn't, or wouldn't, close around the firearm. "Things have changed. You have changed. Help me protect everyone from my mistake of shattering the jewel."  
  
Yuki frowned. "You are wrong. I have not changed. But, very well. Bring the gun and meet me outside in twenty minutes."  
  
A/N: Yuki really has bad luck, doesn't she? But that's a good thing - I don't want Mary Sues! Anyway, I'll get to the real reason for this note. I know lots of you don't like Kikyo. Neither do I, really. But I've heard and read that she really starts helping in later episodes and is on friendly terms (not friends, just friendly) with Kagome. So in order to make everyone happy, I'll make her (in general) a good guy. But she won't show up much. She's just going to be there to provide lots of heartache for poor Inuyasha. Another side note - I like Jaken. I don't know why, but he amuses me. So there won't be lots of Jaken bashing, since even Sesshoumaru rarely does more than glare at him. For Jaken haters, he won't be in here much either.  
  
Well, since we're here, I should thank all my wonderful reviewers!!!  
  
sunshine, Kyd Fizziks, Atlanta-avalon1.1, Gennie Kag's and Sess's Child, *Good*looking*man*, meagan, sesshoumarupeace, kagome, TwilightSakura, InuLover12, LPDramaBabe, Siriusly Serious, Sango'n'Miroku4ever, itzjustme  
  
Thank you all so much (especially those of you who reviewed more than once *wink wink nudge nudge*) 


	10. The New Moon

Golden Fire  
Chapter 9: The New Moon  
  
"Very well, Kagome. Are you ready to shoot a gun?" Yuki rested against a rock with her arms in slings. It was amazing how graceful she still looked.  
  
I nodded vigorously. For the past three hours, she had been teaching me everything I could possibly need to know about the care, sighting and shooting of a gun. I felt like I had been firing a gun for years.  
  
She closed her eyes. "See the rock at the other end of the clearing? Fire at that. Don't worry if you miss, there's nothing beyond it. And be careful of the gun's kick, it might startle you."  
  
I lifted the gun and brought the rock in my sights. As I was about to pull the trigger, Yuki spoke again. Her eyes were still closed. "The safety is still on, Kagome."  
  
I blushed and took off the safety. Taking aim again, I pulled the trigger. The force of the gun pushed me back and I yelped. My heart was beating very fast and I thanked the gods that it had a silencer, or it might have been a heart attack. How did Yuki make this look so easy?  
  
A soft sound hit my ears. Yuki was laughing at me. And she was smiling. "Try again."  
  
It took me a few seconds to get over the shock of her showing actual amusement. "Well, did I at least hit the rock?" I squinted and tried to see if I had chipped the rock.  
  
She laughed again, although shorter and softer this time. "No, not even close, Kagome."  
  
A few shots later and my arm hurt like Kagura had sent a few wind blades through it. I helped Yuki to her feet and we began to walk back to Kaede's hut.  
  
"You were improving. It's too bad I don't have enough bullets to give you real practice. At least you know how to fire a gun now," she observed. "If anything happens to me again, however, I would stick with the purified arrows if I were you."  
  
It was my turn to laugh. "I think that would be for the best."  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
After sunset, I went out to find Inuyasha. He hadn't raised any objection when we told him that we would have to stay in the village for a couple days. As I had been eating dinner, I realized why. Tonight was the new moon. In a few minutes, Inuyasha would be turning into a human.  
  
I circled the God Tree, looking up at where he usually spent his time. Frowning, I wished that I had a demon's sense of smell. Then I would be able to find him.  
  
"Wench, how do you expect me to be in a tree without claws to climb it?"  
  
Gasping, I turned to find him a few feet away. He could even sneak up on me as a human. It was annoying. However, as I watched him brush his now raven hair out of his eyes, I felt my annoyance wash away. He looked so vulnerable as a human, even though I knew he could still hold his own.  
  
"Oh, hi, Inuyasha. I guess you aren't coming back to Kaede's tonight?"  
  
He crossed his arms. "Of course not. Kouga and Sesshoumaru will be my enemies again after this is over and they can't know about this."  
  
I frowned at him, but said nothing.  
  
He smirked at me. "They might not be your enemies, but they are mine. So I hope you understand when I kill that wolf cub after I turn into a full demon." His face fell. "Unless you want to become that mutt's mate." His ears twitched.  
  
"Oh really? Well, that's very kind of you, not killing Kouga and all." I closed my eyes and set my mouth. I didn't want him to realize how cute I thought he was, especially when he was jealous. No matter how much he loved Kikyo, I knew that he would always be protective of me. I was his shard hunter and therefore his avenue to becoming a full youkai. In a twisted way, I was important to him. My eyes snapped open. "Wait, what do you mean 'mate'?"  
  
"You reek of Kouga," he answered. "When he hugged you a week ago, his scent imprinted on you. And again when you fought together today."  
  
"I've taken a bath. Can you really still smell him on me?"  
  
He snorted. "Of course I can. You'll smell like him until another male displays affection towards you. Or until you accept Kouga as your mate." He made a face. "Then, you'll smell like him all the time."  
  
I stood up. "I'm not Kouga's mate! Not now, not ever! And you're stupid if you think I am!"  
  
Inuyasha blinked at me. "Then why do you let him hug you and touch you like that?"  
  
My face burned red. "There's no touching! He hugged me and that's it! No touching!" I breathed in and out a few times, trying to calm myself. When I spoke again, I kept my voice soft. "Even if there was more than hugging, can you blame me? He's kind to me and is actually open with his feelings." I almost bit out the last part.  
  
Before I knew it, Inuyasha stood in front of me. "So you do care about him?" His hair was covering his eyes as he looked down at our feet.  
  
I sighed. "Yes, Inuyasha. I care for Kouga. But only as a friend, nothing more." I smiled at the hanyou, even though he wasn't looking at me. "And you're my friend too. I just wish you two wouldn't fight."  
  
He just grunted.  
  
"Anyway, I should probably go and get Kikyo for you. I'm sure you'd rather spend tonight with her." My smile was gone now. But what was I supposed to do? Admit my undying love to him? Anyway, he found out that I cared about him the day I saw him with Kikyo so many years ago. Wow, it really had been three years. I was almost eighteen. Eighteen and still without any type of normal teen romance. I shook myself and tried to concentrate on what Inuyasha was saying.  
  
"No. I told you already, I don't want other people knowing about me being human." He sat back down.  
  
"Okay, well," I paused as his words hit me. "Wait, you mean Kikyo doesn't know about you turning human during the new moon?"  
  
"Feh." He turned his head away. "The only reason you know is because we got attacked that night and I had to defend you and Shippou. And then that brat told Miroku and Sango. No one else can know. It's my weakness and I have to deal with it, okay?"  
  
I moved next to him. "You aren't weak. I mean, you defended me and Shippou against a really powerful spider demon as a human. That's hardly weak." I put my hand on his shoulder lightly. For once, he didn't push it away. "Besides, it's nice to know that the big, scary Inuyasha can be really human for once."  
  
"Hey," he protested, even though there wasn't any anger behind it, "I can be human without actually being human."  
  
"Are you pouting, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Of course not!" He immediately wiped away his look to replace it with something more 'demonic'.  
  
I slowly stopped laughing, and we sat in silence. After about five minutes, I looked over at him. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do I really smell like Kouga?" It was amazing how interesting the grass became at that moment.  
  
"Feh. What do you expect, wench? You let him touch you."  
  
"Hug! Only hug!" I paused and calmed down. "And I didn't know that that was how it worked with youkai."  
  
"Well, now you do."  
  
I hesitated, not believing the thought that just crossed my mind. Oh well. You only live once. I leaned over and hugged the hanyou. He stiffened immediately and I glanced up at him. "Oh stop it, Inuyasha. You can't stand being near me with Kouga's scent on me, so I'm changing that. It doesn't mean anything."  
  
"Yeah," he murmured. "Okay." He put his arm around my shoulders. "As long as no one's around to get any funny ideas about us."  
  
I yawned. "No one's here. And anyone who actually knows us, wouldn't get any funny ideas, Inuyasha." I realized with a pang to my heart how true that was.  
  
I fell asleep on his shoulder, knowing in my heart that he imagined that Kikyo was in my place.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Needless to say, Inuyasha and I didn't mention the incident in the forest again. However, I noticed that Kouga frowned a lot around me, especially when I avoided his attempts to "imprint" his scent on me again.  
  
Almost before we got a decent rest, Yuki was doing handsprings and declaring herself fit to travel.  
  
"Good," said Inuyasha, "it's about time we moved on. How long will it take to get to the mountains?"  
  
"About a week," answered Sesshoumaru. "On the way, we can discuss how to conceal ourselves in order to steal the Orb."  
  
"Disguises? Stealing?" scoffed Inuyasha. "That doesn't sound like you, Sesshoumaru."  
  
The youkai lord glared at his little brother. "You would understand if you had ever met Lord Yama and his sizeable army." He and Yuki shared a look. That was the second time I had noticed that. Inuyasha noticed too.  
  
"I saw that look, Sesshoumaru. What's going on? What do you and Yuki know that the rest of us doesn't?"  
  
"This Sesshoumaru does not see the purpose of telling you what is clearly a personal matter." His arms were crossed and I noticed that his left arm had completely healed.  
  
I stared at him for a second. No wonder Rin talked about herself in the third person. It was a miracle Inuyasha didn't do it too. "Fine," I answered. "Let's go. But I'm telling you, it's hard to keep secrets in this group."  
  
"That, miko, is painfully clear."  
  
Kikyo came up to us then. "Are we ready to go then?" A few of the wolf clan turned to go, but the rest watched a little girl run up to the Lord of the Western Lands and attach herself to his leg.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Bring Rin with you!" She was crying.  
  
And then I witnessed one of the most amazing things. Sesshoumaru crouched down and patted Rin's head affectionately. "I will be back as soon as I can, Rin. I promise. And I, Sesshoumaru, never break my promises. Go play with the miko's brother. And obey her mother and the old humans as you would obey me."  
  
She smiled up at him with slightly red eyes. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She hugged his leg once more and ran back to my mother and Souta. I was in shock at Sesshoumaru's kindness. That little girl created a real soft spot in his heart. And she was a human.  
  
I waved to my family, Kaede and Rin. Souta had concern plastered on his face, so I gave him an encouraging smile.  
  
After all, we were off to save the world. 


	11. The Female Heir

A/N: Last chapter was kind of fluffy romantic. This chapter has romance (of a sort) too. . . but it's definitely the darker side of having a significant other.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 10: The Female Heir  
  
We traveled for three days without incident. Kouga's clan brothers were expert hunters, as expected, and Jaken knew every edible plant in the region, so we practically had a feast every night.  
  
On the fourth day, the mountains came into sight. Yuki stopped and gazed at them with a frown. "Something wrong, Yuki?" I asked.  
  
Before she could answer, Sesshoumaru walked up to her. "It must happen tonight. I have not thought of any other way. We cannot avoid it now."  
  
"Avoid what? What's happening?" I looked back and forth between the youkai lord and Yuki. Everyone else had stopped too. Sesshoumaru and Yuki flashed their eyes around and the group began to talk amongst themselves. Or at least, they pretended to. Inuyasha and I just walked closer to the youkai pair. They were sharing one of those 'oh, crap' looks again.  
  
Finally Sesshoumaru turned to me. "Lord Yama has several faults. Kindness is not one of them."  
  
"So what? We already knew that we would have to steal this thing, so what new bit of information do you want to give us? Now that we've traveled this far?" Inuyasha was confused and I knew he was getting near his breaking point. Then again, he was always near his breaking point.  
  
Yuki bowed her head. "Forgive me, Kagome. Inuyasha is right. We should have told you this long ago, when we first realized the reality of our situation. Lord Sesshoumaru and I just wanted to have a chance to think of a way out, before bringing the problem to you. It is a personal matter, but it affects us all."  
  
"It's okay, Yuki. Just tell us what's wrong." I placed a hand on her arm. Sango and Miroku gave up on the pretense of talking and came up to us with questioning looks.  
  
Sesshoumaru growled lightly. "It is almost sunset. Let the wolves hunt and the humans rest and we will explain."  
  
An hour later, we had found a spot and Kouga had sent the entire wolf clan to hunt.  
  
"Now why does this feel familiar?" Inuyasha distrust was back in full force as we circled around the fire, waiting for the demons to talk.  
  
Yuki sighed, but it was Sesshoumaru who spoke up. "Lady Yuki will be in danger when we enter the Demon City."  
  
"Wait, 'Lady' Yuki?" His ears were twitching again.  
  
"Her father was a powerful snow demon in China. She has a right to the title." Sesshoumaru was waving the question away with his hand. "Back to the point. Lord Yama has the largest harem in the demon world. This is mostly because any single female youkai that walks through his gates will be taken, forcefully or not, to be a part of it."  
  
"That's disgusting!" Sango exclaimed.  
  
"While I can't advocate his use of violence, can you blame the man for wanting many sons?" Miroku ducked but didn't manage to avoid Sango's boomerang hitting him on the backside of the head.  
  
Sesshoumaru waited quietly until Miroku got off the ground and sat down again. "It is deplorable that a youkai lord should act in such a way, but it cannot be changed. The simple fact remains that Lady Yuki will be subjected to this dishonorable station if we do not take action."  
  
"And what would that be?" I asked, although I could already guess the answer.  
  
Yuki ran her hand through her black hair. "Simply because I am the female heir to my grandmother's contract and technically promised to Sesshoumaru does not mean I am exempt from Yama's law. We must actually be mated to prevent Yama's advances."  
  
"But can't you just stay here? And then we'll come and pick you up on the way back." I was revolted by the idea of Yama taking unwilling women into his harem.  
  
Sesshoumaru slowly shook his head. "Lady Yuki is necessary to the plan, as you know Kagome. The young kitsune does not possess the abilities to disguise himself as well as everyone else."  
  
I shook my head. "Maybe we should rethink the plan, Sesshoumaru."  
  
Sango surprised me by speaking up first. "I don't think so, Kagome. We, as humans, can't go into the city as we are. And Inuyasha won't be exactly welcome. We need Sesshoumaru and Kouga to get into the palace. As powerful as they are," she said, nodding to the royal youkai, "but they can't take on a whole palace army after the theft is discovered. We are needed, and so Yuki must come along to use her illusion skills to hide our true selves."  
  
"I guess so." I turned my attention to Yuki. "But, Yuki. What about love? Isn't that what you want before you mate with someone?"  
  
Yuki shook her head. "I had love once. It nearly killed me. Besides, Lord Sesshoumaru and I knew that this was our fate from the moment the duel ended."  
  
Inuyasha widened his eyes. "You mean, you fought him and got beat, so you decided that this jerk was the one for you? You have serious problems, Yuki."  
  
"Very amusing, Inuyasha. You should know that the strongest male is chosen as a mate, not necessarily the one you fall in love with." She paused. "It's hard to explain, but this is right. This is the fate chosen for us. Now, my family can once again be honorable."  
  
"Who will perform the ceremony?" Kouga asked. "Usually a female conducts it."  
  
"Kagome will," said Yuki immediately. I saw her glance at Kikyo and knew that she didn't want an undead miko performing a mating ceremony.  
  
"I don't know the words though."  
  
"I do. I can tell Kagome the words," said Inuyasha quietly. He received an odd look from Kouga. "What are you looking at, wolf? My mother told me the exact words of her ceremony with my father so many times, I could recite them in my sleep. That's all. Don't think I'm into woman stuff."  
  
Sesshoumaru made a soft noise of disgust but finally nodded his agreement.  
  
Yuki stood up. "Kagome, come on. I need some help with this." She picked up her bag and noticed my confused look. "Just because it's not all roses and chocolate doesn't mean I don't want to look presentable."  
  
"Of course," I responded, getting up and following her. We walked into the thick trees towards the nearby stream.  
  
She washed quickly and asked me to get out her clothes as she climbed out of the water. "I picked it up in the sword-smith's village. I had a feeling I would need one."  
  
"Well, it's beautiful," I said as I lifted it out. I ran my hands over the cream colored silk. It was embroidered with dark blue snowflakes. The obi was dark blue with cream snowflakes. "It's perfect for you." I helped her into the kimono.  
  
"I hope it fits. Here, help me with the obi."  
  
"I think it's too long," I commented, looking at the three inches dragging on the ground.  
  
"Nonsense, Kagome. I'm taller in my demon form."  
  
"Shouldn't you transform now so it doesn't drag?" I asked as I folded the obi in the most elaborate way I could remember. It still didn't look the same as the ones I had seen at the festivals, but it would do.  
  
"I'll transform soon. I think my new mate should be there when I do. It is the first time I have shown my true self in seventy-five years."  
  
I nodded and we walked back to camp.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked up as we came into the circle of warmth created by the fire. He kept exchanging annoyed glances with Inuyasha, who would be whispering my lines to me. I started to feel nervous when I realized how close he would be during the ceremony.  
  
Yuki walked up the youkai lord. Neither was smiling. "I resume my demon form for you, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said, bowing slightly. Her body began to glow softly. Her unbound black hair flowed down her back, growing longer as Yuki herself grew taller. Her skin glistened and then paled to an impossible white, while her hair, now down to her calves, turned ice blue. When she opened her black-edged eyes, I saw they had changed from brown to a deep ocean blue. She was both beautiful and terrifying. I knew in that moment that she was the perfect match for Sesshoumaru.  
  
As for the youkai lord, he simply smirked as they knelt onto the grass facing each other. Kouga, Jaken, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara and Kikyo sat on the other side of the fire.  
  
I took that as my cue and knelt between them, with Inuyasha at my side. I trembled slightly. As Inuyasha began to whisper the words, I forgot all about the couple before me. My head knew I was reciting them to Yuki and Sesshoumaru, but my heart wanted to hold onto them, like they were meant only for me.  
  
"This union cannot be broken Forever shall one protect the other The bonding of the hearts will live eternal And one life takes the place of two May this love provide shelter from the rain May it erase the loneliness of earthly life May it give warmth in the cold It will destroy any obstacles Like the golden fire this love will burn"  
  
Inuyasha's voice stopped whispering in my ear and I shook myself, realizing Yuki had drawn a dagger. "I choose you," she murmured, slicing her palm with the knife. She held it out, palm up.  
  
Sesshoumaru took the blade and cut his hand like Yuki's. "I choose you," he said as he placed his hand, face down, on top of his new mate's.  
  
Inuyasha handed me a sash that I noticed must be an extra from Sesshoumaru's wardrobe. I tied it around their hands, thinking about how the modern era's health care professionals would wince. I heard a soft gasp and looked to see a crescent moon forming on Yuki's forehead. She gave me a small smile.  
  
"Very well, Lady Yuki," said Sesshoumaru, standing up. He left his hand bound to Yuki's. "We shall be back by dawn."  
  
"Back? Where are you going? Don't you want to celebrate just a little?"  
  
"Kagome," Yuki began. She gave me a knowing smile. "You know we have to finish the ceremony in private."  
  
My eyes widened and I blushed furiously. "I didn't mean. . . I mean, I would have thought that the ceremony was enough. I mean, you're mated, right? You don't actually have to. . . mate, do you?  
  
"Youkai depend largely on smell, Kagome. And to put it lightly, I don't smell like Sesshoumaru. Yet." She smiled wider at my shocked face. "And it's not like it's the first time for me."  
  
Sesshoumaru growled.  
  
"Oh, like I'm your first," she said to him. He just frowned.  
  
"Go, please," I begged. "Before I start to glow red."  
  
The youkai couple nodded and walked away.  
  
Sango smacked Miroku.  
  
"I did not say anything, Lady Sango," he complained, rubbing at his head.  
  
"You were thinking it," she answered.  
  
I laughed. Sango was failing miserably at looking angry, while Miroku had clearly forgotten any pain. Those two defined 'furtive glances'. I leaned over to Inuyasha. "I think there's going to be another wedding sometime soon."  
  
"Let's hope we live to see it," murmured Inuyasha darkly.  
  
A/N: One of my wonderful reviewers asked if this was going to be a Sess/Yuki fic. Here's my answer. Yes, they are probably going to be one of the couples (barring any sudden inspiration I get for another pairing.) HOWEVER, this is mainly a Inu/Kag fic. I know it might not seem too much like that, but have any of you read Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (or at least seen the movie)? About 90% of the action concentrates on the heroine's (Eleanor) sister's love life, but it is Eleanor's love life that drives the book. Her sister's suffering is more outward, like Yuki's, but Eleanor's suffering is deep and quiet, like Kagome's. This is what I'm at least trying to go for - the actions of one couple make the main couple appreciate what they have all that much more in the end. Anyway, I really couldn't see Sess and Yuki getting together if they weren't forced into it. They both have the big fault of pride. 


	12. The Demon City

A/N: Happy V-day people. Don't expect a fluffy chapter just because of Feb 14 though. That was the past two chapters. If anyone was wondering (like sunshine), the vows Yuki and Sess took were mostly written by me, but parts were strongly influenced by traditional Apache wedding vows.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 11: The Demon City  
  
I never thought I'd see Inuyasha as a human in the sunlight. Yet there he was, with black hair, brown eyes and human ears. Miroku held a walking stick while Sango and Kikyo had backpacks, instead of the their usual staff, boomerang and bow. All three were dressed in brown ragged peasant clothing. I had a plain blue yukata on, signaling that I was a handmaid. Yuki really had done wonders with her illusionist skills for our disguises. I could actually feel the rough cotton against my arms and legs. My wonderment almost made me forget that today we were going into the Demon City.  
  
Inuyasha looked down and saw that Tetsusaiga was still tucked in by his side. "Can't you change Tetsusaiga too? Not many slaves carry around a powerful sword."  
  
"I know, that is why I must hold onto it during our stay with Lord Yama." Yuki held out her hand.  
  
"What? No way!" he hissed. "You'll just give it to your new mate."  
  
"Really, Inuyasha. That annoying mistrust must cease. Neither Sesshoumaru nor I can even use Tetsusaiga. I will not even allow him to come near the sword. You may have it back tonight, but I cannot disguise its magical elements and therefore, it must be in my care." She flashed an evil smile at him. "Or I could give it into Kouga's keeping."  
  
Inuyasha growled but handed over his precious Fang. Yuki tucked it into her obi and turned to Shippou. "Well, little kitsune. Have you been practicing?"  
  
"Of course, Yuki!" he answered. "I can hold my new appearance for as long as I want." We had previously decided he should pose as Yuki's child, since she couldn't trust herself to disguise his youkai smell well enough. It was going to be hard enough to disguise a hanyou scent, she explained.  
  
"Good," she said, giving him one of her rare, genuine smiles. "Let me see what you came up with."  
  
Shippou immediately transformed into a shockingly accurate interpretation of what Yuki's child would look like. He was taller and had her blue hair and pale skin, but had green eyes and green stripes down his cheekbones.  
  
Yuki nodded her satisfaction and patted his head, which now came up to her waist. "We are prepared to go then."  
  
We walked for five hours to the base of the mountain. Every once in awhile, we'd see a youkai, but they would avoid us. I looked at Sesshoumaru and saw his hand on the hilt of Tokijin. Hmm, I would avoid us too if I were a lesser demon.  
  
We reached a small cave on the side of the mountain. Sesshoumaru walked in without hesitation. Yuki looked behind her at the 'slaves'. "Be prepared. You will be food if you draw attention to yourself. So behave." Her voice was cold and harsh. I knew that she was speaking like this in case stranger youkai were nearby, but my heart still felt a pang of sadness. She was speaking to me like Inuyasha did sometimes. Like I was a worthless human and just in the way. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of that thought. What was I? Three years old? I knew the critical nature of our position. If anyone heard a youkai lady talking to human slaves with kindness, we'd be done before we started.  
  
The cave turned out to be a tunnel through the mountain, although I would never have known that if Sesshoumaru wasn't leading the way. It went on for a long time with many twists and turns. I imagined bloodthirsty youkai around every corner and succeeded in scaring myself to death. Finally, I felt a cool breeze race past and we stumbled out into the light again.  
  
Sango and I gripped each other's arms. My first thought was 'Wow'. The second was 'How do they hide this place?' From what Yuki said, the Demon City still existed in my time, but I couldn't see how that was possible.  
  
We were in a sizeable basin between at least five mountains. An enormous black marble wall stretched across the entire length with a large gate directly in front of us. As tall as the barrier was, I could see the tops of buildings behind it. Sesshoumaru and Yuki were already walking towards the entrance.  
  
Two youkai guards stepped forward to meet them. They were in their demonic forms: a bear and a tiger. Yuki placed a hand on Shippou's shoulder, holding him back. Kouga stood on the kitsune's other side. Sesshoumaru growled when the tiger youkai sniffed at Yuki and Shippou. "Let us pass."  
  
"You dare to bring humans into Lord Yama's city?" snarled the bear youkai as he shifted his eyes to the other humans and me.  
  
"They are my slaves," Sesshoumaru responded. "Although this Sesshoumaru should not have to answer to you."  
  
"Sess – Sesshoumaru? You are the Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands?" The bear youkai trembled slightly.  
  
The youkai lord gave him a piercing glare and said nothing. The guards moved aside and the tiger let out a soft roar. The gates slowly swung open and we followed our 'master' in.  
  
The city was a series of palaces surrounded by beautiful wrought iron fences, probably housing lesser lords or generals. Smaller dwellings were barely visible behind the castles. Servants' quarters obviously. So it was an entire city of royals. Great. Hundreds or thousands of Sesshoumarus. This was going to be so not fun.  
  
I walked behind some of the wolf clan. The rest of them were behind the 'slaves'. Kouga himself kept glancing over his shoulder. I realized with a jolt that Yuki had been dead serious. The demons of this city really were going to look at us as food. The wolves were protecting us.  
  
As we entered the city proper, I saw confirmation of my fears. We began to pass the city's youkai and they all stopped to stare. First their eyes would slide over Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Yuki, then they would immediately flash to us. The humans. Why were humans in their city? I could hear the question flying around, although they had fallen silent the second they noticed us.  
  
I felt so grateful when the largest palace of the city loomed above us. It was obviously Lord Yama's home and he clearly had heard of our presence because the guards opened the gate without question. I had to restrain myself from running in and escaping the youkai in the city.  
  
A beautiful, classic Japanese garden covered the courtyard. I looked around and saw several female youkai walking along the winding paths. They stopped to stare like the demons in the city had done. But none of them so much as glanced at us 'slaves'. Their eyes were fixed on Yuki and Yuki alone. I felt a tremble of fear. What if the ceremony wouldn't dissuade Yama? The females were sizing her up, looking at her with critical eyes and whispering to each other.  
  
I didn't have anymore time to dwell on this however, as we entered the palace. A servant bowed low and led us to a large room near the center of the complex. A male youkai sat in an ornate chair at the opposite end of the hall. He was majestic. He was tall and lithe with long black hair that had a shimmer of green. His eyes were black, making him look deep and soulful. I heard Sango's small intake of breath next to me.  
  
"My lord Sesshoumaru!" he called, standing up. "How good to see you once again." His voice dripped with honey and the good impression his looks made was wiped away. This guy obviously had hidden motives.  
  
"Lord Yama," responded Sesshoumaru stiffly. He bowed almost imperceptibly. I remembered what he had told us about Yama the night before, while we were all fighting and losing to insomnia. Yama had attained his throne suspiciously, after his elder brother had disappeared without a trace and he was constantly leering at the surrounding lords' territories. In other words, he wasn't well liked or trusted by anyone.  
  
"You must be Prince Kouga." Yama turned to the wolf leader. Kouga bowed low in return. He finally turned his attention to Yuki. "And who is this lovely creature?" He reached out, took her hand and kissed it. She didn't smile or bow in return.  
  
Sesshoumaru took a step towards Lord Yama. "She is Lady Yuki. She is my mate."  
  
"You took a mate, my friend? How surprising." He laughed lightly and began to walk back to his throne, beckoning for us to follow. "I thought you would be a bachelor forever. When did this happen?"  
  
"I recently decided that I had obligations other than warfare."  
  
"Ah yes," purred Yama. "You decided you needed an heir." He looked towards Shippou for the first time. "He's a bit old to be yours, isn't he? Doesn't even look like you, my friend. Surely you aren't taking some other lord's rejects? Not that any male in his right mind would reject her." He winked at Yuki.  
  
Sesshoumaru growled softly. Yuki kept perfectly composed, however. "Shippou is the child of my first mate, Lord Sheng. He died in battle years ago." Her hand hadn't left Shippou's shoulder since we entered the city's gates and now gripped him tighter.  
  
"Ah, Chinese. You are a long way from home, then." He smiled at Shippou. "Do you miss your father? Is my friend a good replacement?"  
  
I frowned at his words. Shippou really had lost his father in battle and I was afraid he would begin to cry and lose his concentration. I was so proud when he kept a calm face and looked Yama straight in the eye. "My father died when I was a baby. I don't remember him. Lord Sesshoumaru is a good mate to my mother and an even better father to me." I silently cheered him on for his acting skills.  
  
Yama barked out a laugh. "He is already taking after you, Sesshoumaru! Do you intend to make him the heir to the Western Lands?"  
  
"That is no business of yours, Yama. However, I can assure you that my lands will never be yours."  
  
He laughed again. "Ah, my friend. Always the suspicious sort, weren't you?"  
  
"When I have cause to be."  
  
Yama finally turned his attention to those of us behind the youkai lords. He swept his eyes over Sango and me. I could sense Kouga and Inuyasha's agitation. "These are quite attractive slaves you have here." He got up and took a lock of my hair in his fingers. I kept my eyes down as he twisted it tightly between his index finger and thumb. "Where did you get them?"  
  
"They were a gift to my mate," responded Sesshoumaru. "I captured them near a human village." His eyes flashed towards Inuyasha, who was still fighting his urge to yell at Yama. "They are still new to their position. They have yet to be trained properly."  
  
Yama was still looking at me with lecherous eyes. I found myself wishing for Miroku. Did Yama really only take youkai women into his harem? "I like the females," he said, shifting his attention to Sango and Kikyo. "What will you take for them?"  
  
"They belong to my mate. Discuss it with her."  
  
"Well?" Yama looked at Yuki expectantly. "I'm sure you would like something in return for untrained human slaves." His eyes slid up and down her figure.  
  
Yuki kept a level gaze. "I will not sell them. They were a gift from my Lord Sesshoumaru and I would certainly not dishonor such a generous present by getting rid of them."  
  
Yama's face fell for a fraction of a second, but his smile came back before it was really noticeable. "Well, I can hardly be blamed for asking." He beckoned to one of his servants. "My servant will show you and Kouga to your rooms, Sesshoumaru. I imagine you would be tired after your journey. The wolf clan can have the rooms in the east wing and the slaves can sleep in the servants' quarters. I shall see you at breakfast tomorrow, then." He waved us off and we turned to follow the servant.  
  
After five minutes of walking, the servant opened a door. "Your room, Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Yuki. If the rest of the ladies and gentlemen will follow-"  
  
"That will not be necessary. They can find their own way after I have given them additional instruction." Sesshoumaru dismissed him and went into the room, followed by the rest of us. When we had packed ourselves in and closed the door, he turned to Kikyo. "Miko, put up a barrier around the room. No one must hear us."  
  
Kikyo closed her eyes and a pink sheen covered the walls. "It's done," she said simply, opening her eyes.  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded. "I do not like this. Yama deliberately is putting us in separate parts of the castle. He wants us to be split up." He looked toward the large bed against the wall and then at Yuki. "I suppose he forgets that female youkai can be strong and willful too."  
  
"I'm touched by the sentiment, my Lord Sesshoumaru," responded Yuki dryly. "But we have a larger problem. If the servants' quarters are too far, it will be more difficult for me to maintain Inuyasha and the others' disguises."  
  
"But you can do it, right?" asked Inuyasha.  
  
She hesitated. "Yes, but I will have to go into a meditative state. I will be completely concentrated on projecting the images. It will require almost a telepathic link, but I can do it as long as you behave." She looked pointedly at Inuyasha.  
  
"Hey, what're you looking at? I can behave," Inuyasha argued. I rolled my eyes at the hanyou. He sounded like he actually believed himself.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Yuki was meditating on the floor and the rest of us began to sneak out. It was the strangest sensation. I felt Yuki in my mind, sitting quietly and watching through my eyes. She was like a mother protecting and comforting her child. I felt safe for the first time in weeks.  
  
I hugged Shippou, since he would be staying with Sesshoumaru and Yuki to keep up appearances. "Be good, Shippou." I turned to Sesshoumaru. "You be good too. Treat him as if he really was your child."  
  
Sesshoumaru glared at me. "The day I injure a child is the day I have gone down to Naraku's level, and that will never happen. You do not need to fear for his safety."  
  
"And her?" I motioned to Yuki. "She's vulnerable right now and I know she's nervous about that."  
  
"I will protect her with my life. Both of them."  
  
My eyes were probably big as dinner plates at that moment. "Rather warm and cuddly for you, Sesshoumaru."  
  
He frowned. "Do not mistake me, human. I care nothing for them, but I made a promise to you and your allies. I shall see this through to the end, until I or Naraku lies dead."  
  
I nodded my approval and walked out with the others.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
I shifted on the floor. I couldn't believe Yama's servants called this place 'home' and had to sleep here every night. It was freezing. I wrapped the ragged blanket as well as I could without waking the other women. Well, at least Sango and I didn't end up as dinner for the youkai servants.  
  
I froze. I heard something that wasn't the wind howling. After a minute, I realized what it was.  
  
Someone was in the room. And they weren't supposed to be there. 


	13. Prisoner

Golden Fire  
Chapter 12: Prisoner  
  
I shut my eyes, simultaneously trying to listen for the intruder and wishing it would go away. In my mind, I felt Yuki's vigilance.  
  
"Kagome?" That was Sango's voice. For a happy second, I thought that the stranger was actually my best friend. Then I realized that she was next to me, awake and just as scared. We found each other's hands in the dark and prayed the prowler would pass us by.  
  
For once, I would like my prayers to be answered.  
  
Suddenly, someone grabbed my ankle and pulled me roughly toward them. "Inuyasha!" I screamed, vaguely aware that I could hear someone else screaming on the other side of the castle. An arm wrapped around my waist and I was dragged up. My voice woke up the entire room of youkai women, but they just sat in the dark silently, watching with glowing eyes.  
  
"Kagome!" cried Sango. She rushed towards me, her outline barely visible in the dark. Kikyo stood up and moved forward as well.  
  
My attacker raised his hand and a green cloud shot out of it towards them. I stared at them as the mist enveloped their bodies. There was a moment where everyone held their breath. Sango met my eyes and I watched in horror as she and Kikyo collapsed and began to scream in agony. Again, I heard a scream from across the palace.  
  
The monster dragged me out into the hall. The shock of seeing Sango and Kikyo hurt was shaken off and I began to thrash. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Help me!"  
  
A strong hand clapped over my mouth. "Shut up, you disgusting girl."  
  
I twisted and looked at the creature's face. It was Yama. No surprise there. I clawed at his arms and tried to scream through his hand. He ignored it when I bit him. I felt my jeans and sweater take the place of my yukata. The illusion had slipped away. Something had happened to Yuki. Her presence in my mind was erratic.  
  
Then, hope rose inside of me. Footsteps were echoing down the hall behind us. Was it him? Did he finally come to help me? I almost forgot to struggle as I watched, craning my neck to the point of pain.  
  
Yama stopped and turned to meet whoever was approaching. He sniffed the air and smiled. That was probably not a good sign for me.  
  
An enormous human-looking youkai rounded the corner. He had full armor on, but it was bloody and in disrepair. "My Lord Yama," he grumbled, bowing. "The other women slaves are still unconscious but the two male slaves are fighting. They are very strong." The demon paused and fidgeted a bit. It was a strange-looking action for such a terrifying man.  
  
"Well? What is it, you mongrel?"  
  
The demon looked at us. "One of the males. All of a sudden, he changed. He looks and smells different than a human. He smells almost like a youkai."  
  
"Almost?" Yama snarled. "You mean he's a hanyou?"  
  
"I think so, my lord."  
  
An angry yell echoed through the palace. I recognized it as Kouga's war cry. My heart leapt in joy. Inuyasha at least had some help, even if he would resent it. I felt Yama's chest rumbling with a growl against my back. He yanked me off me feet again. "Go and kill those troublemakers!"  
  
"What about Lord Sesshoumaru and his mate?" called back the demon.  
  
Yama stopped cold. "If they get in the way, kill them. The child too. Might as well get the shards with extra land in the bargain." He grinned. "Actually, keep the female alive. She might prove useful later. Just keep them away while I break this one." He shook me for emphasis and began walking away again.  
  
My mind flew to a million things. Break me for what information? He obviously knew that I possessed jewel shards, even though Yuki had worked so hard to disguise their essence. What more could he want from me?  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"I told you already. My masters Sesshoumaru and Yuki collected the shards from demons they killed. We were on our way to find more when Lord Sesshoumaru decided to see if you had any. You don't, so just let me go!" I struggled against the chains Yama had put on my wrists and ankles. From what I could tell, I was deep underneath the palace. Certainly the maid never came down here. I closed my eyes. Yuki kept flickering in and out of my mind and the emotions I could sense were just as frenzied.  
  
"You're lying." He circled me. "I smell deception on you. Besides, your clothes changed after I took you, so I know you are no simple slave. You possess magic. And you have a hanyou with your party. I've been hearing about a hanyou after jewel shards. I've also heard that Sesshoumaru cares nothing for the Shikon no Tama. Tell me what you want here."  
  
I let my head drop. Lies obviously weren't working, but I couldn't exactly ask him if he would please hand over the Orb and then leave us to our business, could I? For all I knew, he could be working for Naraku also. It wouldn't surprise me. This guy was a snake.  
  
Yama put his hand under my chin and forced my head up. "You are a pretty girl. Even for a human. Do you understand what I can have if you help me? You surely bear no love for Sesshoumaru. Help me find the remaining shards and I shall give you anything you want. Come, girl. You know this is what is best for you. I already have what you were wearing around your neck. You must have some power over them, or Sesshoumaru wouldn't let you hold them. Tell me. Help me." He brushed his fingers over my lips and laughed when I shuddered. "You would be rid of Sesshoumaru. You would be in the grace of the most powerful demon alive. Just tell me what he wants here and how to find the rest of the shards."  
  
I lifted my eyes to look into his eyes. "I will not tell you."  
  
His black eyes narrowed and I felt a sting on my cheek. He had slapped me, although I didn't even see him move. "Then you are a fool," he spat. Yama stood and turned away. "I shall be back when I'm done dealing with those idiot companions of yours. If you don't cooperate when I get back, then we'll be having another type of fun, shan't we?" He flexed his claws and walked out.  
  
Sighing, I looked around. There was no way for a human to get out of here. I tested the chains. Hmm, if I had Inuyasha's strength it might work.  
  
"Nice guy, isn't he?" The sarcastic drawl bounced off the walls.  
  
I turned my head to the opposite cell. The gloom seemed to separate to make way for the youkai walking up to the bars. He rested his head against the door and stared into the direction Yama went. "Who are you?" I whispered. His eyes were black like Yama's but they didn't hold any secrets. I could tell right away that he was angry.  
  
The youkai shifted his eyes to me. "You're human."  
  
"You're demon. What's your point?" I wasn't really in the mood to be another youkai's target for insults and cruelty. "And you still haven't answered my first question," I pointed out.  
  
He raised his eyebrow. "My, you are lively. No wonder my brother has spared your life for this long."  
  
"Brother? Yama doesn't have a brother anymore. He died."  
  
"No, he disappeared." He paused and looked thoughtful. "I guess I should say, I disappeared."  
  
I glared at him. "Yeah, right. And I'm a fire cat."  
  
He stepped back and bowed gracefully. "Forgive me. It's been awhile since I've had contact with anyone except the head guard or Yama. I've forgotten my manners. I am Kuri and I am the rightful lord of the Demon City. Instead, my brother tricked me and trapped me in his poison cloud. When I woke up, I was here, in chains that no magic or strength can break." He lifted his hands and I saw the shackles. They were carved with demonic runes and looked exceptionally strong.  
  
"Well I can't say I care for the way your brother runs the place," I commented, rubbing my cheek which now ached from Yama's blow. "I hope you were better."  
  
"I can't really say. I was only on the throne for a few months before I ended up here."  
  
I studied him. He didn't seem to be lying, but Inuyasha would kill me for wondering if I could help him. Kuri could be another trap of Yama or Naraku. "Well, I'm Kagome. I'm here with Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Yuki."  
  
"So I heard." His eyes traveled down to my throat and I instinctively clutched at the jewel that was no longer there. "Don't worry, Kagome. I have no desire for the jewel. I'm happy with how my life would be if my brother were dead. That is the only desire I have in life."  
  
"What is it with you brothers wanting to kill each other?" I muttered.  
  
"Excuse me?" Kuri paused. "Oh yes. I remember hearing of Sesshoumaru's wish to kill his hanyou brother. Experienced it yourself, have you?" He leaned against the slimy stone wall and watched me with curious eyes.  
  
"No. Yes. Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."  
  
"Yes, well, we're different than Sesshoumaru and his brother. Yama has no desire to kill me. Then I would actually be at peace. He would never want me to be happy in death. That, and he doesn't have the guts to do it himself." He straightened and looked intent for a moment, then relaxed. "I think your friends are coming."  
  
A few minutes later I heard my name being called. "Inuyasha?" I yelled, ignoring Kuri covering his sensitive ears. "Inuyasha! I'm here! Inuyasha!"  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha rounded the corner and ran up to my cell without a glance to Kuri. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He reached through the bars and touched my cheek lightly, frowning when I hissed. It was black and blue. "I'll kill him."  
  
Miroku came into view with a huge grin, but stopped when he saw Kuri.  
  
Inuyasha tore the door off its hinges and made equally quick work of my shackles. "Can you walk on your own?" he asked. I nodded and he led me out of the cell. He stopped when he saw Miroku staring at Kuri. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"This is Kuri, Inuyasha," I explained. "He's Yama's older brother. He never died. He's been down here the entire time. We should help him, Inuyasha."  
  
The hanyou grunted in disapproval but walked to Kuri's door and tried to remove it. It wouldn't budge.  
  
"Yama had a special cell and shackles made for me," Kuri said. "You cannot release me without the keys. Yama and the head guard have the only two sets."  
  
"You mean these?" Miroku held out ornate keys.  
  
"Where'd you get those?" I asked.  
  
"I thought they might open your cell, Lady Kagome. So I grabbed them from the body of that rather large fellow." He went to the cell and unlocked it and Kuri's chains.  
  
"Good," said Inuyasha. "Now we can go kill your brother."  
  
I frowned and turned to him. "Where's Sango and Kikyo? They're okay, right?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, that cloud stayed around for quite a bit, but they woke up soon after it disappeared. They're still not up to their usual strength, so they went with Kirara to look for Shippou, Sesshoumaru and Yuki."  
  
"You mean they weren't with you? And where's Kouga and the clan?" I started to feel panicky, especially when I realized that Yuki hadn't been present in my mind for awhile now.  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it. The wench has my Tetsusaiga."  
  
"Inuyasha, sit!" I stared down at him as Miroku smirked and Kuri looked on in amazement.  
  
"Ow! Jeez, that doesn't mean I'm not worried about the kit too."  
  
"Let's go, Lady Kagome. We're just wasting time here." Miroku started to walk away with Kuri following.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"Oh, thank the gods. Fresh air," Kuri said, taking a big breath when we got out of the dungeon.  
  
We started walking towards Sesshoumaru's room. There weren't any sounds of battle now, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I just hoped that everyone was okay.  
  
We saw that the door was ripped down and quickened our pace. I peeked in.  
  
"Kagome! You're okay!" Shippou launched himself into my arms. He was back in his normal form.  
  
"Shippou! It's so good to see you." I hugged him tightly.  
  
"But Kagome, something's wrong with Yuki!" He pointed to the other side of the room.  
  
Sesshoumaru was kneeling next to Yuki, who was unconscious against the wall.  
  
"What happened?" I rushed over.  
  
"She shall be fine. She had a shock when you, the exterminator and the other miko were all hurt within a few seconds, and then when the half-breed and the monk were fighting." He looked at me. "You were linked to her and she felt your terror and pain, but she still tried to hold on and keep your disguises. She failed."  
  
I glared at him. "It's not her fault."  
  
"Did I say it was?" he pointed out. "She is waking as we speak."  
  
"With one hell of a headache," Yuki moaned, clutching her head. She opened her eyes slowly and turned to me. "Kagome, where is the jewel?"  
  
Inuyasha growled. "Yama has it?!"  
  
"Um, yes?" I tried curling myself into a ball to avoid his angry gaze.  
  
Several sighs of exasperation filled the room. 


	14. Kuri's Revenge

A/N: There were a couple questions in my most recent round of reviews (which, by the way, I love getting)... Jadee's – from what I understand, people with a jewel shard can pass through the well, so I took a bit of liberty with that, and said if Kagome's holding onto someone, they can pass through too. As far as I know, the reason Inuyasha can go through hasn't been explained. LeaMarie F. Rocket – yeah... she does tend to lose the shards a lot... but this one really wasn't her fault. Yama isn't as powerful as Sess, but he's still a demon lord. Meg – ask and ye shall receive (in the third paragraph)... basically Kuri looks like Yama, only very sickly since he's been in that dungeon for so long.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 13: Kuri's Revenge  
  
"What are you waiting around for? If Yama is working with Naraku, he could've given the shards to him already!" Inuyasha was nearly hysterical.  
  
"Shut up, dog turd. We'd know if Naraku had the jewel." Kouga was covered in small cuts and bruises from the battle with the palace guards. The rest of the wolf clan wasn't as lucky. They had serious wounds and a couple were close to death. But Kikyo's hands had worked quickly and soon she announced that they would all live. So now Kouga was free to insult Inuyasha again.  
  
"Prince Kouga is right," spoke up Kuri. He brushed his black, shaggy hair away from his thin, gaunt face. He needed a hair cut and some sun. "My brother would never pass up an opportunity like this. He has more power than he ever dreamt of and he won't give it up without a fight." He looked at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. "He will want to destroy the brothers of the Western Lands. And you too, Prince Kouga."  
  
"Another jerk bent on world domination. This is getting annoying." Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at Kuri. "We should still go and get the jewel shards now."  
  
"I agree. I will not rest until my brother has paid for his treason."  
  
"Then let's go," said Yuki, who was still leaning against the wall.  
  
"No," intoned Sesshoumaru. "You are not going with us. You would be no use to us in your condition."  
  
"I can take care of myself!" spat Yuki. She stood up straight, wobbled a bit and regained her balance. The rest of us watched in silence. If this came to blows, like their last fight did, there was no way Yuki would survive. And Sesshoumaru certainly wouldn't care if he killed her.  
  
"I refuse to argue with you, so stop being a child."  
  
Yuki opened her mouth and then shut it with an angry look on her face. I looked between the two of them. "Yuki, someone needs to stay and protect the injured wolf clan. We can't leave them defenseless." I smiled at her, hoping this would settle her bad mood.  
  
Instead, she scoffed. "Nice try, Kagome." She paused and looked at Sesshoumaru and the injured wolf clan. Closing her eyes, she said, "Fine, I shall stay here and 'defend' the wolves."  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked and turned away. Everyone began to file into the hallway, but I stayed for a moment and studied Yuki as she went to comfort the wolf demons. Her shoulders were tense and she kept cracking her knuckles. She was seething. I raised my eyebrow. Those two were going to be the death of each other.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
I watched Kikyo walk beside Inuyasha. He kept asking her if she was all right. She would just smile and softly murmur a 'yes'. They looked like a perfect pair. I sighed, aware of how useless I had become. Kikyo was the better miko and the better shard detector. I had nothing over her.  
  
"Don't worry, Lady Kagome," whispered Miroku. "He will soon come to his senses."  
  
I looked at Sango leaning on his arm. She was still a bit weak from the poison cloud, but she didn't seem to mind. She had a small smile on her face as Miroku supported her down the hall. I grinned. At least that couple was coming to their senses. One out of three ain't bad.  
  
Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Kuri reached the end of the hall and stopped in front of the last door. We fell silent as it slid open on its own. Yama's voice boomed out of the dark room. "Ah, my dear brother, I'm so glad you came with our distinguished guests. It saves me the trouble of going into that disgusting dungeon again. Please, come in all of you."  
  
Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and walked into the room, followed by the rest of us. I yelped when I saw Yama. He was in his true youkai form. Normally, I don't mind snakes, but an enormous green cobra is not my idea of fun. Especially when its fangs are as big as Shippou and dripping with venom.  
  
I readied my bow as Yama stared at us. I felt the pull of the jewel shards and saw the glow coming from his forehead, but it was Kikyo who called out first. "It's in his forehead, Inuyasha!"  
  
"Good! That means I can split open his skull while I'm at it." He prepared to charge.  
  
"Insolent half-breed!" roared Yama as he lunged. He snapped his jaws where Inuyasha had been a half-second before.  
  
"Is that the best you can do, Yama?"  
  
I aimed my arrow at Yama's throat, but couldn't get a clear shot as he kept lunging at Inuyasha. I looked to my sides to find the others and to ask why they weren't helping, but they weren't there.  
  
Glancing behind me, I encountered a horrible sight. All of my friends (and Kikyo, Sesshoumaru and Jaken) were fighting other snake youkai. I watched in awe as the five foot long vipers flowed into the room from a hole in the wall. All of them had the same venomous fangs as Yama and my friends were desperately trying to avoid them, but having a hard time of it. The vipers had wrapped themselves around Sango's leg and Miroku's arm. I darted forward with an arrow in my hand and sliced them off.  
  
A cry of pain filled the room and we turned to see a cloud of poison surrounding Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha!" I cried. I tried to run to him, but suddenly felt a sharp sting in my ankle. Looking down, I saw a viper attached to me by its fangs. I brought my arrow down and destroyed it, but it already did its damage. I fell to my knees and the vipers started to pile onto me. I shrieked and tried to push them off. Green mist began to surround me.  
  
I felt the swish of a blade over me and found myself looking into Sango's worried face. "Are you okay?" She offered me a hand.  
  
"My ankle hurts but I don't think any poison got in. Where's Inuyasha? He was hurt."  
  
"I don't know. The cloud is surrounding them." She swiped away more vipers. "I want to know how Yama is controlling these snakes. They aren't normal. They're like tiny Yamas."  
  
I stabbed at a few of the mini-youkai, and realized that they varied in size and color. "Oh gods!" I cried in realization. "They're Yama's kids!"  
  
Sango looked at me in horror but continued to slice at them. She set her face into a mask. "It can't be helped, Kagome. They're trying to kill us. And what do you expect with that harem of his? Besides, they're full- grown. Yama is bigger because of the shards, so it's not like we're killing small children."  
  
"I hope not." My blood was boiling. How could this guy use his own children like this? He must have known he was sending them to their death.  
  
A figure came up to us through the mist. "Kagome? Is that you?"  
  
"Inuyasha! You're okay." I ran closer to inspect his wounds. He was cut up pretty bad, but nothing too serious.  
  
"Yeah, but I lost him in the cloud. He doesn't have much venom left though. He's all tapped out. This cloud doesn't even make me cough." He motioned to the growing haze.  
  
"It's not there to kill us, Inuyasha," pointed out Sango, as she finished off the last of the nearby vipers. "It's there so he is hidden and has the element of surprise."  
  
"Then we need to find Yama before he finds us. Kagome, can you sense the shard?"  
  
I hesitated. "I'm having a hard time figuring out which is Yama and which is Kouga. But I think Yama is over in the corner." I pointed to my left.  
  
We ran over in time to see Kuri attacking Yama. His eyes were glowing red as he wielded his sword. I stopped dead. Sword? Kuri didn't have a sword when we came in. I grabbed Inuyasha's arm. "Isn't that Tokijin? What is Kuri doing with your brother's sword?"  
  
Kuri parried against Yama's fangs, as the rest of us watched. Inuyasha was twitching beside me. I could tell he wanted to help, but was no longer sure of Kuri's intentions. Sesshoumaru surely wouldn't let Tokijin out of his grasp voluntarily.  
  
As I was thinking this, the Western Lord himself came into view. Inuyasha spun around to him. "Why is Kuri wielding Tokijin? Another secret? Or is he crooked like his brother?"  
  
Sesshoumaru ignored Inuyasha, allowing Jaken to answer for him. "Lord Sesshoumaru can defend himself perfectly well without Tokijin. He believes this is Kuri's fight and since Kuri is an inferior fighter compared my Lord Sesshoumaru, he needed a superior weapon."  
  
I rolled my eyes. Even if it was a sham of a mating, how could Yuki put up with these two guys? I wondered if divorce existed in the demon world. She would need it.  
  
Yama and Kuri continued to trade blows. "Shouldn't we help him, Inuyasha?"  
  
The hanyou next to me frowned for a second. "No, Kuri wants this. He deserves to get revenge for what Yama did to him. The thought of vengeance is probably what kept him alive down in that dungeon."  
  
I closed my eyes briefly. "Vengeance can kill those who seek it too."  
  
He didn't respond.  
  
Yama snapped at Kuri, forcing him to jump away. Simultaneously, his tail lashed out and wrapped around my ankle. I fell hard onto my back as he pulled me toward his jaws.  
  
"Kagome!" In a second, Inuyasha had a transformed Tetsusaiga in his hands.  
  
Blood started to drain into my head as Yama held me upside down. I thanked the gods I was wearing jeans instead of my skirt. Yama playfully bit the air next to my skull and laughed when I screamed. He turned his attention to Inuyasha. "She's a pretty girl. I'll make you a deal. Leave the girls and that interesting sword of yours, and I'll let you and the monk escape with your lives. I'll even take care of Kouga and Sesshoumaru for you. They're so troublesome and I'm sure you'll be glad to get rid of them."  
  
Inuyasha growled. "I have to admit it'd be nice to not have Kouga and Sesshoumaru around, but if you think I'm giving up my Tetsusaiga, you're insane."  
  
"Inuyasha!" I twisted around and glared at him. "What's more important? Me or the sword?"  
  
Yama laughed as Inuyasha hesitated. "Well, I suppose that answers your question. I'll give you another chance, my girl. Choose me and I'll give you anything I want."  
  
I blinked. "You can't give me what I want." I was beginning to feel dizzy, but I could still see Kuri in the background. He gave me a small nod. Despite the blood pounding in my ears I knew that I had to keep Yama occupied for a few moments. "You know what I want? I want the jewel in safe hands. I want my friends and family to be alive and happy." I glared at him. "But most of all, I want you to just die."  
  
Yama's face registered a split second of surprise before Kuri split him apart.  
  
I fell into Inuyasha's arms and I found myself looking into his eyes.  
  
"Kagome? Kagome? Are you okay?"  
  
"Um, yeah. Just a little dizzy." I felt my blood rushing back into my body. "A couple more seconds and I would have passed out." I turned to see Kuri pick out the jewel shard from Yama's remains.  
  
"You went through all this trouble just to have this, my brother? You always were foolish though. I shall repair the damage you have done." He walked up to me and Inuyasha and handed me the jewel. "I am sorry I had to kill him in such a cowardly way, but I would not risk the safety of such a wonderful girl."  
  
"A foolish move on your part, Kuri. Another moment, Yama would have figured it out and you both would have died. You are lucky he was an idiot," Sesshoumaru observed.  
  
Kuri shrugged and handed Tokijin to the Western Lord. "I don't know how to thank you, my friend."  
  
"I did not do it to receive your gratitude. I simply wished to see Yama die."  
  
The mist was clearing and we regrouped in the center of the room. Inuyasha was finally able to put me on the ground without my knees giving out. "You know, Kuri," he began, "there is a way to thank us."  
  
"Really?" The new lord of the Demon City looked amused. "And what would that be?"  
  
"Give us the Orb of Sada."  
  
Kuri's face fell slightly. "That is not something I can just give you, Inuyasha." He smiled again. "But, we will talk about this in the morning. Right now, we need to rest and eat."  
  
"First good idea I've heard all day," murmured Sango, as she dozed on Miroku's shoulder.  
  
A/N: Kind of a weak ending, I know, but I had to stop somewhere or this chapter would have gone on forever. And we wouldn't want that, now would we? Haha. Oh, and I'm assuming that if Sesshoumaru died, Inuyasha would inherit the title, so Yama would have had to get rid of both of them. 


	15. Cave of the Guardian

A/N: I've been MIA for a week or so, I know. But I have access to the net once again, so you guys get two updates two days in a row... That's right! Expect the next update tomorrow. For now, read and enjoy.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 14: Cave of the Guardian  
  
I woke up in a big luxurious bed, and silently thanked Kuri for remembering to move us former slaves to better rooms. I rolled over and found Shippou looking up at me from the floor. "Morning, Shippou. You're up early."  
  
"It's afternoon already, Kagome."  
  
"Afternoon? Hmm, I guess I missed breakfast then. Where is everyone? Why didn't they wake me up?" I got out of bed and started to root around in my bag for clean clothes.  
  
"Most are still resting and healing. Inuyasha and Miroku are awake though. Kuri too. He says that all the youkai have pledged allegiance to him. They hated Yama as much as we did!" He jumped up onto my shoulder. "Kagome? Why don't you hate Kikyo?" Talk about a change of subject.  
  
I stopped picking lint off my sweater and glanced at him. Sighing, I said, "I don't hate her because I can't hate her. What happened to her was horrible and no one deserves that kind of pain. So you see, I can't hate someone who I have so much pity for."  
  
"She doesn't want pity though. She wants Inuyasha's life."  
  
I took him off my shoulder, set him down on the bed and patted his head. "Inuyasha is in charge of his own life. He will give it to whoever he wishes. I don't think even Kikyo can change that."  
  
Shippou hung his head. "He seems to think he doesn't have a choice."  
  
I grabbed a towel. "He'll realize it sooner or later, Shippou. I'm going to go to the bathhouse now. Try to stay out of trouble, okay?" I gave him a wink and went to find a much needed bath.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
When I came back, a simple green silk kimono was laying on the bed. "Where did you come from?" I asked the garment.  
  
"Kouga said you had to have something nice to wear when you go in front of court today," Shippou piped up. "He hoped it would match your eyes."  
  
I frowned slightly. "I see. What about Sango and Kikyo? Did they get new kimonos too?"  
  
I could see my surrogate son gulp from across the room. "No, they didn't get anything new. He said that you were the only one who needed one because of how dirty your clothes got."  
  
"But I have other clothes," I whispered. I didn't know whether to feel grateful or annoyed. Kouga had been avoiding me ever since I had made it clear that I didn't want to be 'imprinted' again with his smell. Was he trying to buy his way back into my good grace? I sniffed in disgust. Sometimes Kouga really acted like a stuck-up noble. Not to mention, my eyes weren't green.  
  
Shippou tilted his head to one side. "I think you'd look pretty in it." He gave me a sly smile. "Inuyasha would think so too."  
  
I lifted the kimono and held it to my body. Even if Inuyasha did think I looked pretty, he wouldn't admit it to anyone, including himself. Oh, well. I shrugged to myself and shooed out Shippou so that I could change. As an afterthought, I gave him the kimono and told him to give it back to Kouga. After closing the door, I pulled a clean shirt over my head and slipped into jeans. I might not look like a royal lady, but I was presentable.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, I walked into the throne room where I first met Yama. Everyone had apparently woken up, because they all turned to watch me enter the room. "Um, hello, everyone." I could see Kouga frowning slightly in my direction. He held the bundle of green silk loosely in his hands. Inuyasha was talking in low tones to Kikyo and my heart sank. Maybe I should have worn the kimono.  
  
Sango smiled at me. "Kagome, you're just in time. We were going to talk about getting the Orb." She escorted me up to the dais. Kuri was smiling and talking to Sesshoumaru, who was not smiling back but did appear slightly less sour than usual.  
  
Kuri turned his face towards me and gave me a warm grin "Good. We're all here." He set his hands on the armrests and pushed himself out of the throne. "Well, everyone, to get the Orb, it's very simple. You must go into the cave and get it. The entrance is just outside the city gates."  
  
"That's it?" asked Inuyasha with a suspicious glare.  
  
"That's it," Kuri responded calmly. "Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru must have told you about the barrier, and that is your only real obstacle. But I should warn you. They say that not only do you have to pass the barrier, but you must talk to the ghost of the youkai seer who created the Orb."  
  
"So what if we might have to talk to some old crone?"  
  
"She's the guardian of the Orb and, although your intentions might get you past the barrier, you must pass her test as well. That's how the legend goes. Several have gotten past the barrier, but to get past her," he paused, "that's another story."  
  
"What kind of test?" I asked. I really didn't feel like two battles within twenty-four hours.  
  
Kuri paced along the edge of the dais. "No one knows, miko. No one has come back after passing the barrier." He gave me a half-smile. "Don't worry. If I've learned one thing in the past day or so, it's that anything is possible when you're around, Kagome."  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"At least this cave is just one straight path," Sango murmured, "We can't really get lost in here."  
  
"Just wait until we meet the seer," I muttered in return. Glancing behind me, I saw the pinprick of light where we had come in. Kuri had left us there, saying a short goodbye and wishing for our return. I wasn't sure if he wished our return to his city or our return from the cave. Both seemed equally unlikely. He had made it rather clear that he didn't want to see us again until after Naraku was defeated. His city had seen enough trials already, he said. I guessed that he thought we would bring more. He was probably right.  
  
After a few more minutes, the passage widened into a large cavern. Most of it was encased in a shimmering green dome. Slowly, we skirted our way around the edge of cave, carefully avoiding contact with the magical barrier. I don't think any of us were sure of what we were doing. Even Sesshoumaru looked slightly apprehensive.  
  
When we made a full circle, I turned to the others. "Look, we know that we're worthy to pass this barrier. No one has a greater reason to need that Orb than to stop Naraku. So let's just do this."  
  
"I think it's the old crone that we're worried about, Kagome," pointed out Kouga. "It's not very promising that no one has returned from taking her test." Silence followed this statement and I frowned at the wolf prince. He could be as cynical as Inuyasha sometimes.  
  
We heard a small shriek and looked over in time to see Sesshoumaru kicking Jaken through the barrier. He landed on his head on the other side, but otherwise seemed to be in good health. The Western Lord turned to the rest of us and met our shocked expressions with a calm gaze of his own. "If he can pass the barrier, so can we."  
  
"Um, well, that's not the method I was thinking of," I said, "but it works." I reached out and touched the green magical wall. It felt like rippling water underneath my fingertips. I stepped through and looked around me. In the center of the dome, there was a huge rectangular stone that had obviously been carved with primitive tools. Beside it stood an old woman, very similar to Kaede, except that she had the wings of a dragonfly.  
  
As soon as we were all inside the dome, the youkai woman bowed. "Greetings to you. I suppose that you have come to claim the Orb, hmm?" She smiled and I remembered my grandmother giving me that same smile right before she died. It was reassurance in the face of the inevitable.  
  
"Listen," Inuyasha began, "just give us the Orb, okay? We're in a hurry."  
  
The rest of us gave quiet sighs of exasperation, but the old woman just laughed. "But, my dear hanyou, I have all the time in the world. I'm the spirit of a dead woman, you see."  
  
Before Inuyasha could say anything else, I stepped forward. "Please, we really do need the Orb. We want to use it to defeat an evil demon whose only pleasure is in making other people miserable. I know that our intentions are good enough to use the Orb."  
  
She nodded. "I know that, my child, because you were able to pass through the barrier. Now, however, you must pass my final test. I foresaw the heart of the person to take the Orb, not the face, unfortunately. I must give you a warning though. If you fail my test, you will die. You must be willing to risk everything. However, if you chose to not take the test, I will let you go on your way again."  
  
"Do we all have to take it?" asked Miroku. "Do we have to risk all of our lives?"  
  
"No. For if only one passes the test, they will become the glue that holds you together until the end of your task, whether it end in success or failure."  
  
"But I thought this thing guaranteed success!" yelled Inuyasha. "Now you're telling me that one of us might die and then it might not even work?" He threw a few angry glances at his brother, who just responded with a small shrug.  
  
"It all depends on who uses the Orb, hanyou. A few of you have potential, but only one can be the Orb's true master." She tilted her head at Inuyasha's perplexed expression. "In other words, it might work for you since you're using it for its purpose, but if this demon Naraku got hold of the Orb, it would not work for him, because of his evil heart."  
  
"Good. Sesshoumaru can't use it, then," muttered Inuyasha. His brother just narrowed his eyes. "But one of us has to."  
  
Quiet bickering began. Various members of the group were volunteering, while others were pointing out why we couldn't afford to lose them if they failed. I scrunched my nose in thought for a second before speaking up. Over the noise, I declared, "I'll take the test."  
  
Everyone stopped talking immediately. "What? No way!" Inuyasha got into my face. "Stupid girl! What the hell are you thinking?"  
  
"Inuyasha, sit!" I watched in satisfaction as he landed on his face. Crouching down, I brushed his hair out of his face as he snarled at me. "Inuyasha, I know you don't understand, but I'm the only logical choice. The rest of you are needed to fight and Kikyo can detect shards in my place. Please, let me take this chance. I need to do something for this group."  
  
"Kagome." Yuki stepped forward. "I can see that you're determined, but please consider what you're doing. Your family is waiting back at the village."  
  
I smiled at her. "I know that. I also know that I'm going to pass this test."  
  
Sango raised an eyebrow at me. "Can you be sure of that?"  
  
Shippou looked up at me with fear in his eyes and tugged on my jeans, silently begging me to not go. But I had to. "Yep!" I chirped back to Sango. I patted Shippou on the head and faced the youkai seer. She gave me a soft smile and shooed the others out of the dome.  
  
So there I was, alone with a dragonfly youkai fortuneteller. "Come here, child," she said, beckoning to me with her clawed hands. She turned her back to me and faced the stone.  
  
I stood next to her, wondering when and if she was going to say anything. After a few minutes, I whispered, "What should I be doing?"  
  
"What's your greatest fear, child?"  
  
I frowned, already not liking this. I looked behind me, trying to find my friends, but the barrier didn't allow me to see the golden eyes that I needed desperately to see. "I fear losing the people I love," I responded as I realized its truth. I gave her a crooked smile. "That's kind of a cliché though, huh?"  
  
"I suppose so, but not a surprising one." She turned to me. "But the real question is, would you use the Orb, even if you knew that they would die? Would you kill them to kill Naraku?"  
  
My breath caught in my throat. Surely, she didn't mean to say that if we used this Orb, that all my friends would die? I gave her a piercing stare. "No," I choked out. "Never. I don't care if it's the only way to kill Naraku. I won't lose them."  
  
"If Naraku lives, you will lose them anyway. And your own life as well. This is the only way. Remember, my girl, I am a seer."  
  
"No!" I screamed, making her jerk backwards in surprise. "There must be another way! I'm not losing them! I love them!" Tears started to flow. "If it means I lose them, I don't want it!" I slammed my fist down onto the rock.  
  
It began to shake and glow. I stopped crying and looked at the youkai seer in shock. "Congratulations, child. You have the heart that can control the Orb. To care about others' welfare so much and not want the power of defeating Naraku. Impressive, I must say."  
  
With a final burst of light, the Orb of Sada appeared on the stone. She picked it up and handed it to me. "That was it?" I asked. "That was the test?"  
  
"Of course, child. What did you expect? A hand to hand fight with me?" She laughed softly. "Because, if that was true, the Orb would have been gone long ago. I have found that a short, simple test of loyalty is the best."  
  
I stared at the clear crystal filling my hand. "But no one has refused to sacrifice their friends?"  
  
"You would be surprised, child. Besides, most of the seekers of the Orb have been youkai, and they usually fear a loss of their power or land. And they are never willing to risk that. They would rather die. And so they do." During her short speech, the seer began to fade.  
  
"Thank you." Then, I had a sudden thought. "Wait! My friends won't die, will they?" I reached out to her.  
  
Her translucent fingertips brushed mine. "I do not choose what I see, child." She gave me a sad smile. "As much as fate may play a part in our lives, it is our choices that truly dictate our future. I see blood and I see rage. I see death in many forms. Do not worry, though. Mostly, I see love." She disappeared. There was a gentle hiss and the barrier vanished.  
  
"Kagome! You're alive!" Shippou ran and hugged me fiercely.  
  
"Of course I am, silly. I wouldn't lie to you guys." I was shaking slightly. "Come on, let's go." I ignored Inuyasha's glare and walked out of the caves with the group at my heels.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Without stopping in the City again, we walked through the twisted tunnels to leave the Demon City territory.  
  
As soon as we exited the tunnel, Yuki stretched beside me in her usual leather outfit. "As nice as Kuri is, it's nice to be out of court. Yama's harem was still hanging around." She smiled. "Specifically around Lord Sesshoumaru."  
  
He gave Yuki such an annoyed look, that the rest of us burst out laughing. Even Inuyasha and Kikyo smirked.  
  
"Well, now. What are we laughing at?"  
  
Black Death stepped out of the trees to our right, wearing a trench coat over his usual black clothes. We all immediately tensed and drew our weapons. He moved forward and took off the black cloth that covered his face. I was surprised to see a rather handsome, young man, despite his red eyes and flame-colored hair.  
  
Yuki took in a sharp breath. "Ryu!"  
  
He gave her a wicked grin. "Hello, lover." 


	16. The Ice Queen

A/N: Reviews are definitely dropping off... which makes me very sad. Make me happy again!... Anyway... More fighting! Yay! Um, if you haven't figured it out yet, everyone in the story gets one big battle (sometimes in conjunction with other characters). So don't worry, Inu and the others will have their chance too.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 15: The Ice Queen  
  
"You know him? I thought you said no one knew who Black Death was!" Inuyasha yelled at Yuki. She just ignored him and stared at the man she called Ryu.  
  
It was Black Death who answered his question. "I'm much different than Yuki remembers me, but I am her Ryu and she can't deny that." He continued to grin and his red eyes flashed. "How are you, my love?"  
  
His words seemed to shake Yuki out of her shock. "Don't you dare call me that!" she hissed.  
  
"Well, now. I don't remember you being so against it, or any other pet name I called you when we were married."  
  
Sesshoumaru stepped forward and growled, but not at Ryu, as I expected. His cold amber eyes were turned to Yuki and shining with anger. "Married? You engaged in such a human act? With this scum?"  
  
Ryu laughed. "She didn't tell you, Sesshoumaru?" He cracked his knuckles and leered at Yuki, but continued to speak to the Western Lord. "I suppose she didn't tell you that I was a human either."  
  
"Shut up," Yuki whispered.  
  
But Ryu continued as if he didn't hear her. "And she didn't tell you that she was pregnant? With a hanyou? A half-breed?"  
  
A choking sound came from Yuki. Her face was contorted in anguish and then, in a flash, it transformed to an expression of anger. "Yes, I was pregnant. With a hanyou, no less. And you killed your own child for that!" Her voice cracked with emotion.  
  
It was Ryu's turn to have his face twist in anger. "You expected to lie and get away with it? For years I didn't know that you were a demon and then you decide to tell me when you're pregnant with a monster? An abomination? I couldn't let it live, but you escaped punishment. For the past ten years I've been training so I could punish you for your lies and deceit."  
  
"And losing my child wasn't enough?" screamed Yuki. "You didn't even give the baby a chance!"  
  
I frowned and watched Yuki put her hand on her abdomen. "Oh gods," I whispered. "He shot her womb and killed the baby."  
  
Yuki turned her eyes to me. They seemed unusually large and soulful. "I told you that love nearly killed me once. I felt so guilty for not telling him what I was, but when I did, he betrayed me and our child." She laughed coldly, surprising us all, and turned back to Ryu. "It's ironic, Ryu, that you are now the very thing you hated most."  
  
Ryu sneered in return. "So you figured it out, finally? That I am a hanyou now? I admit it. Naraku came to me on the eve of my revenge and told me to wait. He told me that I could never defeat you as the human Black Death, but that I could torture you as a hanyou. I would then become his closest advisor. He gave me one of the demons that had possessed his own body. What a glorious gift!" He lifted his arms and looked briefly to the sky. "I had never dreamed of such power."  
  
"You're insane," whispered Yuki. "You're doubly insane if you think that Naraku will ever share power. He is using you to kill us. You're expendable."  
  
"As are you," he answered, as he drew out a gun similar to the one Yuki held in her own hand. Ryu grinned. "But I think I want to have a little more fun with you yet." He quickly swung his arm, pointed the gun at me and Shippou, and pulled the trigger.  
  
I closed my eyes as I heard Yuki and Inuyasha scream in protest. A split second passed and I yet I didn't feel any pain. Shippou was still clinging to my shoulder. Slowly I opened my eyes to see a translucent wall in front of me. A bullet was suspended in the center of it. I reached out and found that the wall was cold. It was made of ice; it was a seven-foot thick wall of ice.  
  
I turned to look at Yuki, who had her hand stretched out towards me. She looked as shocked as I was.  
  
Ryu sputtered in annoyance. "What the hell is this, Yuki? You yourself told me you didn't have any snow demon powers. And this sure as hell isn't an illusion." He pointed the gun towards Yuki.  
  
She finally tore her eyes from her hand and straightened up. "Kagome," she murmured, "you and the others get behind me."  
  
Her eyes were glowing blue, so we obeyed, except for Sesshoumaru who hesitated a moment. As soon as he joined us, Yuki waved her hand and another wall of ice sprung up to block us from the inevitable battle. We pressed ourselves up to the ice, to see what was happening.  
  
Ryu shot a series of bullets at her, but she froze them all and they fell to the ground.  
  
"You're going to have to do better than that, 'lover'," she spat. Her voice had acquired a metallic ring, making her sound mechanized. Blue lightening crackled over her skin. She held her hand out to the side of her and the wall that held the first bullet split apart into hundreds of lethal-looking icicles. "I always had better aim that you." She flicked her hand forward and the icicles shot towards Ryu.  
  
He dropped his gun and made a movement that seemed like he was pitching a baseball. My eyes widened when I realized he had thrown a fireball toward the ice daggers. They melted just feet from him.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha tackled me and pushed me to the ground as the unstoppable fireball blasted through the ice wall right where I had been standing. It exploded thirty feet behind us.  
  
"Thank you," I breathed, blushing slightly when I realized our close contact.  
  
He frowned. "Stupid girl. Watch out next time." He stood up and resumed watching the battle through the three-foot hole in the wall. His fists were clenched tightly and I realized he wanted to go and kill Ryu himself. He had murdered his own child for being a hanyou.  
  
Yuki growled as she surveyed the damage and then faced Ryu again. "So, you are half fire demon."  
  
"And you're a frosty bitch," answered Ryu. "What's your point?" He threw another fireball at her.  
  
She didn't even flinch, just waved her arm and froze it. The ice sphere fell to the ground and shattered.  
  
Ryu raised his eyebrows. "Impressive. Too bad our child didn't inherit those powers." He leaned forward a little. "By the way, the doctor called that morning. It was a boy."  
  
He probably expected her to cry or at least choke on her own breath again. But she didn't. She stared at him for a moment and then she changed. I watched in horror as the life in her eyes died. An ice-cold wind rushed through the clearing. Frost tipped her eyelashes and claws, and her eyes glowed blue again. She leapt and swiped at him.  
  
Blue ribbons of light trailed behind her and sliced Ryu's arm as he jumped away. His face was serious as she landed and spun to face him again. She was snarling and flexing her claws.  
  
He threw fireball after fireball at her. She froze every one and soon their steps crunched on the broken ice.  
  
I ran to Sesshoumaru. "She's turned into an animal!" I cried. "Stop her from hurting herself!"  
  
He snorted. "She's not a pathetic half-breed. She will be fine."  
  
"Oh, really?" I put my hands on my hips and watched Yuki attack Ryu again. "And you're so in control when you're a big evil puppy dog, right?"  
  
His eyes flashed to me and quickly back to the battle.  
  
"She has a point, Sesshoumaru," spoke up Inuyasha. "This isn't normal fighting for her. He brought so much grief to her that she can't think straight. She would have killed him by now if she was. And when she does pin him down, she'll torture him."  
  
"So what if she does? She is an assassin, little brother. Death is her calling." He crossed his arms and watched the two fight beyond the ice wall.  
  
"But Yuki loved Ryu at one time!" I protested.  
  
He growled back at me. "She does not love him now."  
  
"You always love them," I whispered, as I turned to watch the fight again. "Even when they hurt you."  
  
Ryu and Yuki passed each other again, swiping with their deadly claws. Ryu's wounds were considerable and they all had ice in them. His skin was turning blue and he shook from the cold. Yuki only sported a couple scratches. She smiled wickedly at him. "I'm getting bored, dear husband."  
  
"Why don't you just die, then? I guarantee your boredom would end," he spat back, his teeth chattering. "Maybe you'd get lucky and see the kid."  
  
"Man," I muttered, "it's like he wants to die."  
  
"No," answered Inuyasha, "I smell guilt. He hates Yuki for lying, but regrets killing his child. He can't get it off his mind."  
  
I stared at him for a moment, amazed at his insight. "Well, I think he's going to have to face his child's spirit long before Yuki."  
  
"Yeah. Look." He pointed to Yuki, who was standing with that deadened expression on her face.  
  
Ryu had picked up his gun again and was pointing it at her heart.  
  
"Why are you trying? You know I can stop the bullet," she said coldly.  
  
"One of us will die today, Yuki," he replied.  
  
"Yes. One of us will die." She tilted her head. "Did you know that seventy percent of your body is made of water?" She flicked her hand and Ryu screamed in pain. His calves were suddenly covered in frost and I knew that she had frozen his very blood. The frost inched up his body. I hid my face from Yuki torturing him, but I couldn't stop hearing his screams. I finally gave up and turned back to the scene before us. Ryu was twisting and trying to move, but failing miserably. The ice had reached just above his waist.  
  
He stopped struggling and lifted his gun again, but pointed it lower on her body. Towards her stomach. "Or maybe two of us will die," he whispered, staring at her abdomen.  
  
The dead expression left her face in an instant. He pulled the trigger as she put up an ice wall to protect herself. Before the bullet hit the ice, he stiffened and shattered into pieces.  
  
Yuki fell and curled into a ball. The ice walls melted instantly and I rushed to her side. "Oh gods, Yuki. Are you okay?"  
  
She looked up at me with a pained face. Her body had broken out into a cold sweat and she was shaking, but at least her eyes had stopped glowing. "I lost it. If he hadn't threatened me like... like that again, I might not have snapped out of it. That power. It's overwhelming compared to my kitsune powers. Intoxicating. I let it take control of me."  
  
Sesshoumaru walked up and knelt beside her. He sniffed a few times and arched an eyebrow at his mate. "You are not pregnant. You should have realized that. He only said that so you would kill him quickly. The coward did not want to endure any more pain or humiliation."  
  
"Of course," she murmured while pressing her hand to her stomach. The frost on her lashes was melting, making her look as if she was crying, although I knew she would never do that in front of us. "I really should have known." Frowning, she asked, "Aren't you angry? That I loved and married a human? That I almost had a hanyou?"  
  
The Western Lord paused and his lip curled in disgust. "Your actions appall me, but you are my mate. I must still protect you."  
  
"Wow, thanks. That makes me feel a lot better," she responded, rolling her eyes. She turned to me and gave me a half smile. "Know what? No more secrets, Kagome. Every time I try to keep something from you, it tends to haunt me."  
  
"Okay," I agreed, smiling. I hugged her briefly, but she stiffened. "Oh sorry," I said, blushing. "I forgot that you're still a big, tough demon."  
  
"No, it's not that," she responded almost absentmindedly. "I smell something."  
  
I looked up to see Inuyasha, Kouga and Sesshoumaru spinning around, trying to track the scent. Kouga growled. "It's that wind bitch."  
  
Sure enough, Kagura settled on the ground a few feet away. She studied the remains of Ryu for a second before looking at us and smiling. "Oh good. He really was becoming such a pest. Kept on asking Naraku when he would get more power to kill the snow demon."  
  
"So Naraku sent him to us, knowing that he wasn't near strong enough to defeat us," said Inuyasha. He tapped his foot impatiently. "Why doesn't your precious Naraku do his own dirty work for once?"  
  
Kagura shrugged. "Who cares? That's not what I'm here to talk about, hanyou." She shifted her eyes to Sesshoumaru. "I'm actually here to talk to you, Sesshoumaru."  
  
"That's 'Lord' Sesshoumaru to you!" cried Jaken.  
  
Sesshoumaru silenced him with a glare, but didn't wipe away the angry gaze as he turned back to the wind sorceress. "For your sake, I hope you have come to announce Naraku's surrender and to deliver the jewel."  
  
Kagura laughed. "Do you think he'll surrender, even in death? No, I haven't come to make a deal between you and Naraku." She grinned. "I have come to make a deal between you and myself."  
  
A/N: Another cliffhanger. I know, I know. I spent a long time trying to figure out who should be under Black Death's mask. Finally, I decided that Yuki had to have a reason why she didn't hesitate to escape her time period. In case you didn't notice (or did notice and are like 'wtf?'), the battle was inspired by 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' when Willow (a witch) goes nuts. Just like Willow, Yuki will struggle with her awakened powers. Also, after I showed this chapter to a guy friend of mine, he informed me that Ryu is the name of a character in Street Fighter who also uses fireballs as his weapon. This is completely coincidental. I just like the name Ryu and thought it was appropriate. 


	17. Realization

A/N: The review system has finally been fixed... and my life has finally settled down a little. Spring Break is so close... Anyway, I just wanted you all to know I appreciate your patience... You won't have to wait as long for chapter 17, I promise.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 16: Realization  
  
Sesshoumaru crossed his arms. "I already have made one deal this month that I do not care for. I am not about to make another one." He appeared contemplative for a moment. "Unless you have something particularly unique to offer." He stretched out his restored arm for emphasis.  
  
Kagura smirked. "I see you've been returned to your previous... potency. I know that you plan to destroy Naraku anyway, why don't you get a little help?" She walked up and stopped only a foot in front of him. "We both get what we want. Naraku dies and I get my freedom."  
  
"Let you live? Never!" yelled Kouga. He moved to attack, but Inuyasha and his wolf clan held him back.  
  
"Shut up, wolf," muttered Inuyasha. "I hate her too, but Naraku is still the ultimate bad guy here."  
  
Turning her eyes up to Sesshoumaru, Kagura smiled seductively. "I always knew you were the one that would help me kill Naraku. Maybe I can give you something else in return, in addition to my assistance in battle." She trailed a finger down the center of his chest.  
  
Sesshoumaru watched for a moment and then said, "You are aware I have a mate."  
  
"So?"  
  
With wide eyes, I looked at Yuki. She was rolling her eyes and I could have sworn I heard her whisper 'slut' under her breath.  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked and I knew he heard Yuki. "I will not dishonor her by sharing a bed with another woman."  
  
"Who said anything about a bed?"  
  
Yuki choked next to me. I looked at her in alarm and then realized she was trying to hold in her laughter. "Oh gods, I need a stiff drink. It would make this that much funnier."  
  
Kagura glared at Yuki. "Why don't you let a real woman satisfy him?"  
  
The Lady of the Western Lands stopped laughing, but didn't stop rolling her eyes. She stood up and brushed away the dirt from her leather jacket. "You know what? I don't want to deal with you right now. Or ever for that matter. You want him? Take him." She turned to me. "I'll catch up later. See you." With that, Yuki walked away into the forest.  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "You know you're gonna pay for that later, right, Sesshoumaru?"  
  
I glared at the hanyou. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Feh. Women always make the guys pay for what isn't their fault."  
  
"You're such a jerk!" I yelled.  
  
"And you're just proving me right!" he yelled back.  
  
"You..." I stopped. He had actually made a good comeback. I just frowned at him.  
  
"Both of you, be quiet," Miroku said. He motioned to Kagura. "We still need to talk to our guest."  
  
"No," said Sesshoumaru, "we don't." He glanced at Kouga, who had spent the last ten minutes seething as far from Kagura as possible. His eyes shifted to the rest of the wolf pack, who stood with downcast expressions. Finally, his gaze looked towards the forest where Yuki had disappeared. He stepped past Kagura. "We do not require your assistance in killing Naraku. I believe that a few of my companions want a chance to kill you in battle. And I, for one, do not need any help in battle." He kept his cold, unblinking eyes on her face.  
  
Kagura sneered at him. "This was your one and only chance. If you try to take my life, I will fight you with everything I have."  
  
"I'm sure they look forward to the challenge."  
  
She sauntered up to him. "You lost your chance too."  
  
"I believe I shall survive."  
  
Kagura muttered rude things under her breath and made her usual exit as I watched Sesshoumaru. This was at least the third time I'd seen him be considerate of others. It couldn't all be because of his promise to help us, could it? He seemed to be the same Sesshoumaru, but at the same time, he wasn't.  
  
"Oi! Wench! Are you coming or not?" Inuyasha called.  
  
My head jerked up and the rambling thoughts were pushed out. The others were moving away. I sighed and got up to follow them.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"Did Sesshoumaru really have to walk so darn fast?" I complained as I rubbed my sore feet.  
  
Sango sighed. "I don't know, but I spent the day wishing Inuyasha was setting the pace. At least he stops when you 'sit' him." She collapsed onto the ground next to me. "Was it just me, or did he seem annoyed? I mean, more annoyed than usual?"  
  
"Which one? Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha? They're both so grouchy."  
  
"I heard that!" called Inuyasha from across the clearing in which we had stopped for the night. He walked off a little ways and jumped into the branches of a nearby tree.  
  
I ignored him and lowered my voice to prevent demon eavesdropping. "Yuki never came back. Maybe that has something to do with it."  
  
"Sesshoumaru did storm off as soon as the rest of us stopped," Sango agreed.  
  
"What're you two ladies talking about, hmm?" Miroku sat down next to Sango, who immediately scooted away from him.  
  
I gave him a cheery smile. "About Sesshoumaru and Yuki."  
  
"Ah, yes. They are a strange pair, aren't they? But I believe they feel for each other more than they let on, but their pride and impetuous ways won't let them admit it." He winked at us. "Sounds like some other people I know."  
  
My smiled disappeared and I glared at him. "That isn't funny." I stood up and walked away, out of the circle of warmth created by the fire.  
  
After a few minutes of walking, I decided I shouldn't stray any further from the camp. If Inuyasha found out, he'd yell and then I'd have to 'sit' him. Then, there would be a fight. I really didn't want to fight with him right then. In fact, I never really wanted to fight with him. But he made me so mad at times!  
  
I sighed and eyed a tree next to me. Grabbing a branch, I climbed up until the leaves concealed me from anyone on the ground. I now knew why Inuyasha liked to spend his time in trees. Not the most comfortable place, but I definitely felt safe.  
  
Twenty minutes passed as I sat in the boughs of the tree. I couldn't think of anything but Inuyasha and how he looked when he was with Kikyo. They really made the perfect pair, and yet I insisted on preventing him from being with her. I had to stop being so selfish. He wasn't mine to take. What I told Shippou was true; Inuyasha would chose who to give his life to. He would give it to Kikyo. And Miroku had the gall to talk about pride separating us? Tears began to roll down my cheeks and I stared up into the top branches. Stars were peeking through the gaps, giving off a cold light.  
  
"Do you think we should get Inuyasha? He could find her quickly with his sense of smell." Miroku's voice broke into my thoughts. I stiffened but then realized they couldn't see me, and, if I was careful, couldn't hear me either.  
  
"No. He'll just get mad at her for going away, especially now that she has the Orb and the jewel," Sango answered. I mentally hit myself. How could I be so careless? I didn't even have a weapon with me.  
  
There was a pause and I could tell that they had stopped walking. "The thing is," said Miroku, "I wasn't really talking about her and Inuyasha being too proud to admit their feelings."  
  
Another pause, and then I heard Sango's short, indignant laugh. "Monk, you surely can't be talking about yourself? Because you're the one person who has never had a problem admitting his feelings."  
  
"I'm not talking about asking women to bear my child, Sango." He sounded slightly annoyed.  
  
"Then what are you talking about, Miroku?" Sango asked. I nearly gasped. She rarely said his name, preferring 'monk' or 'pervert'.  
  
"I'm saying that it's time to my own pride aside. We have the Orb, but that doesn't guarantee our survival. I'd imagine that the seer told Kagome things she didn't want to hear, and that might include our death." He took and deep breath and pushed it all out. "Sango, I love you." Sango gasped, but Miroku just continued. "I just wanted you to know that before we faced death... again. And I wanted you to know that if we live through this, I want to marry you. Only you. And I want you to know that as much as I would like you to bear my child, if I was with you, I wouldn't need a child to fulfill my life. If I was with you, that's all I would need."  
  
There was a third pause and I could imagine Miroku was as tense as I was at that moment. My chest felt cold and I realized it was drenched in tears. I didn't know if they were happy tears or sad tears.  
  
"Oh, Miroku," murmured Sango. I felt my heart wrench apart. She didn't sound elated at all. She sounded depressed. I craned my neck every way, trying to find a gap in the tree's foliage. No such luck.  
  
"I see," answered Miroku in a low tone. I heard grass rustle as he took a few steps away. My mind was screaming in protest.  
  
"I wasn't done. I didn't even start," pleaded Sango. "Miroku, do you have any idea how much agony I go through when you hit on other women? How horrible it is when you grope me and I think that I'm just another girl to you?" There was another rustle of grass. I pressed myself down onto the branch. Yes! I could see them from the chest up, facing each other. Sango had tears on her cheeks. "What I can't figure out, is how you erased all that pain with three words." She smiled at Miroku's shocked expression and hugged him. "I love you too," she whispered.  
  
They pulled apart slightly and immediately came back together in a kiss. I hugged the tree branch in happiness.  
  
Before things got any more serious, Miroku gently pushed Sango away. "Sorry, love," he murmured with a smile, "but I sense a demon aura. I think it's Shippou, and you know how he is with secrets."  
  
Sango arched her eyebrow. "Secrets?"  
  
He gave her a chaste kiss. "I don't think I want to share this good news quite yet. I want you to myself for awhile." His smile faded. "And remember, we still have to live through the battle before we can go through with our marriage."  
  
Sango nodded. "Let's get back then. We'll send Inuyasha to find Kagome if she doesn't arrive by the time dinner is ready."  
  
They left my sight and I let out a long sigh. I was kind of glad they left. I didn't want to see what Miroku was like after a girl actually accepted him. I leaned back on the trunk again. Let Inuyasha find me and yell. I was tired and happy. My friends were together and in love. I knew that seeing Kikyo and Inuyasha together wouldn't even get me depressed at this moment.  
  
I closed my eyes. A breeze played across my face and I shivered. Oh well, I should go back anyway. Maybe I could convince Inuyasha to give me his haori. I was always able to sleep better with it over my shoulders.  
  
Opening my eyes, I yelped. Golden orbs were staring at me. I focused my vision. "Sesshoumaru!"  
  
He was standing on a branch a few feet below mine. "What are you doing out here, wench? You are endangering us all."  
  
"Sorry... sheesh. I'm going back right now." I swung myself down until I reached the forest floor. "Have you found Yuki yet?" I called.  
  
He landed in front of me. "No. The woman hides herself well."  
  
Miroku's words from the fireside came back to my mind. I grinned. Let's shoot for two successes tonight. "She really respects you," I said casually.  
  
"As she should. That is her responsibility as my mate." He paused again and narrowed his eyes. "If you are attempting to play match-maker, you are wasting your time. We have an understanding. I will protect her, honor our union and she will give me an heir." He looked at the crumpled grass nearby and sniffed. I knew he could smell Sango and Miroku, and probably knew exactly what had transpired. "Yama was an arrogant bastard, but he had a point. I need a child to take my place. Yuki knows this. Do not interfere, Kagome."  
  
I blinked. That was the second time he had called me by name. I tilted my head. "Are you so sure about your understanding, Sesshoumaru? You treat Rin decently, you consider your travelling companions' feelings, you protect us, and you call me by name." I smiled at him. "You even stay and have a conversation with me. It's a nice change."  
  
He snarled and slammed me against a tree trunk. His eyes glowed a soft red. "I am not going soft, wench! Stay out of my life, and I won't end yours." With that, he walked away.  
  
I slid down to the ground and rubbed my spine, where a bruise would inevitably appear. "Yup," I muttered to myself, "he definitely loves her."  
  
A/N: We're coming close to the end, so I needed to put the romance part of this fic into higher gear. (After all, this is primarily romance... action/adventure is its secondary genre.) Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about answering the Fluffy mystery. 


	18. Snowy Nights

Golden Fire  
Chapter 17: Snowy Nights  
  
Kaede studied the Orb as it lay on her hand. "I am glad ye have succeeded in getting this, but what will ye do with it?"  
  
I leaned back on the wall of the hut. "I don't know. The seer didn't tell me how to use it."  
  
"Well, maybe you should have asked," hissed Inuyasha.  
  
I glared at him. "She started fading as soon as the test ended, and I had more important things to ask about." I began trembling again, thinking of the seer's answer to my question. She saw death. Maybe it was Ryu's death that she saw, but I doubted it. There was more to that prophecy.  
  
Kaede held up her hand to silence Inuyasha's comeback. "I am sure Kagome will know how to use it when the time comes."  
  
Inuyasha just crossed his arms and stared off into the corner.  
  
"Stop staring, Inuyasha. It's creeping me out," said Yuki as she moved into the light.  
  
"I didn't even know you were there!" he exclaimed. Then he narrowed his eyes. "How do you do that?"  
  
"Illusions. Playing with light and shadow. Reflections," she answered as she settled herself between Kaede and me. I was studying her intently. She had said more in the last five seconds than she had in the week that it took to get back to the village. I felt a pang of guilt. Ever since the conversation in the forest, Sesshoumaru had blatantly ignored his mate. When we had returned to the village, Rin had run up to him and asked who the 'pretty lady with blue hair' was. He told her that Yuki was no one important, as I watched silently.  
  
Now she was sitting next to me and I found myself wondering what I could say to her to make it all better. I realized that nothing I could say would repair the damage. Sesshoumaru obviously hated her for making him 'weak'. The demon lord himself had disappeared five hours before, as soon as we had reached the village.  
  
I jerked my head up when I realized Kaede and Inuyasha were talking.  
  
"Feh. I say that we go out and find Naraku. Kill him and get it over with." He pouted a bit. "But the others think we should stay here and rest."  
  
"There will be time for battles later. I agree with the others, Inuyasha. Ye need to rest and train." She nodded towards Yuki. "From what Miroku told me, ye need to work a bit with the newfound powers ye have acquired."  
  
Yuki's eyes darkened to a stormy blue. "I have no one to teach me, Lady Kaede. My mate has rejected me, and the wolves do not possess my kind of abilities. It would be like a bird teaching a fish to swim. I need someone who has a blood bond with me. My mother, father or... mate." She sighed. "I shall go and practice on my own. I cannot risk losing my control in battle again." She stood up and went outside.  
  
Miroku and Sango came in a second later. They had so far managed to keep their 'secret', but it wouldn't stay that way if they kept sneaking away together. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Inuyasha sniff the air and frown. If he knew, he'd be saying something. Miroku really wanted to keep this a secret right now, since they obviously went through some trouble to hide the scent of desire. Well, then, my lips were sealed. I had already screwed up one relationship after all.  
  
My eyes darted to Inuyasha. He was staring off into space again, something he'd been doing a lot recently. At night, he'd slip away and I knew it was to see Kikyo. They still met in the forest, away from the others. I wasn't sure if it was shame of being seen, or habit.  
  
Sure enough, as the sun set an hour later, he stood up and left the hut.  
  
"Follow him," whispered Sango.  
  
"What?" I asked incredulously. "So I can see him and Kikyo kiss again? No thank you."  
  
Sango stood up and pushed aside the mat covering Kaede's door. Kikyo was outside, telling a story to the children of the village. "That Kikyo?" she questioned, arching her eyebrow at me.  
  
I was on my feet and out the door in a second.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
I wandered around the forest. Inuyasha hadn't been at the God Tree as usual. That had surprised me, but I continued to look. I reached out in my mind and felt Kouga's shards. Good, I was still not too far from the village. Of course, Inuyasha could be miles away with his speed.  
  
"You're always out looking for me. Why do you do that?"  
  
I smiled and turned to face him. The moonlight was making his hair glow. "Why do you always let me find you?" I shot back with a grin. The simple fact that he wasn't out here with Kikyo made me a very happy woman.  
  
He shrugged. "I guess I'm used to you being around."  
  
"Gee, thanks, Inuyasha." I sat down on a nearby log and dug the toe of my shoe into the frozen ground. "I thought you'd be out here with Kikyo."  
  
"You keep doing that too, wench. Assuming I always want to be with Kikyo."  
  
"Don't you? You have that promise to her and all."  
  
"Yeah, so? I promised to avenge her death."  
  
"And to go to hell with her."  
  
Even in the faint moonlight, I could see him blush. "I'm not going to hell with her, Kagome."  
  
I couldn't speak for a moment. My mouth had gone dry. "You... You aren't?" I croaked. "Why not? Why would you break your promise to the woman you love?"  
  
Inuyasha hung his head so that I couldn't see his eyes. "I can't go with her. I've come to realize that I've paid that part of my debt to her. My life no longer belongs to her. She has betrayed me too much for that."  
  
"She also has helped you," I whispered.  
  
"And that's why I still must kill Naraku in her name," he countered. "But that doesn't mean I owe her my life. I already gave it to her once when I was pinned to that tree, I'm not doing it again."  
  
"Does that mean you want the jewel to become full demon?"  
  
"Feh. I don't know what I want anymore." He buried his head in his hands. "Do you know how many people are pushing at me to make decisions? About... about everything?"  
  
I frowned. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I know that we do place a lot of pressure on you, and that's not fair."  
  
His ears flattened against his head. "Feh. It's okay."  
  
There was a long silence. "Inuyasha? What would you do if you knew you were going to die?"  
  
In a flash, he was by my side. "What're you talking about, Kagome? Did that seer tell you something? You're not going to die for using the Orb, are you?"  
  
"Settle down, Inuyasha. She didn't tell me anything specific. She just said 'rage', 'blood', 'death', and... and 'love'." I began to shake again, as I did every time I thought about this. "The test was telling me that all of my friends would die if I used the Orb. I refused to take it, and that was apparently the correct answer."  
  
"So you don't know anything about the battle," he said, sitting back on his haunches and letting out a long breath.  
  
"Sorry, no." I brushed a hand through my hair and sighed.  
  
"I would spend time with Miroku, Sango, you and even Shippou," he said after a few minutes.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Wench, do you ever listen to what you say? You asked what I'd do if I knew I was going to die, and I told you."  
  
I smiled. "Really? That's what you'd do?"  
  
"Feh... You guys accept me like I am. Where else would I go?"  
  
I shrugged. "I dunno, Inuyasha. I assumed that you would want to go and spend the entire time in the God Tree." I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them.  
  
"Hey, wench. Don't think you can get out of answering your own question. What would you do?"  
  
I closed my eyes. "Same as you, pretty much."  
  
"Pretty much?" I opened my eyes to see him smirking at me.  
  
Blushing, I looked down at my feet. "If I were going to die, I would want to know... to know if I'm really just a shard detector to you." I was telling a half-truth. I wanted to know much more than what I asked. I wanted to know what he would say if I told him that I loved him. But I wasn't facing death yet, and so I didn't have that type of courage at the moment.  
  
Hands pulled me to my feet and I found myself looking into golden eyes. "Kagome, you stupid girl," he murmured. "You were never just a shard detector to me. You're my best friend."  
  
He embraced me tightly so that I couldn't help myself from breathing in his scent. I sighed happily into his shoulder and wrapped my arms around him. "You're my best friend too, Inuyasha." I felt moisture on my cheek and pulled away from the hanyou a little. Looking up, I saw white flakes drifting down onto my eyelashes and into my hair. They melted instantly and left little water droplets all over us. It felt like being covered in diamonds.  
  
His claws brushed through our hair that had become tangled together. "We should get back," he said in a soft voice.  
  
I didn't want this moment to end, but I knew that it was better to go back then get interrupted like we usually did. I tugged on his wrist. "Inuyasha, I have one more question." He tensed up, but turned to look at me anyway, so I continued. "If I die, please, will you take care of my family? Make sure they're safe and they get back to their era?"  
  
"No."  
  
His blunt answer shocked me. "Inuyasha! Please!"  
  
He grabbed my shoulders. "I said no because you aren't going to die. I promise you."  
  
I reached up, grabbed his hand and squeezed it a little. "Thanks, Inuyasha, but you should really concentrate on the battle. After all, Sesshoumaru always has his Tenseiga."  
  
"Feh. I wouldn't trust that creep to help you. No, Kagome. You aren't going to even cross into the spirit world. Not for a second. I won't let you." He pulled away from me and blushed a little. "Come on. Let's get back and you can make me some ramen."  
  
Reaching over, I tweaked his ear and laughed when he gave me a half-hearted growl. "Okay, Inuyasha." I wrapped my arm around his and we walked back to the village.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
The next morning was beautiful and crisp with the cold. I stretched and looked over my sleeping companions. My eyes stopped on Yuki, who was sleeping while leaning against the wall. She rarely slept, like most youkai, so the fact that her eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly was a surprise already. But she also had Rin cradled in her arms. The little girl had a tight grip on her blue hair and leather jacket. I smiled. Rin had evidently found a new mother.  
  
As I stood there, Yuki stirred. She looked surprised at first to find Rin in her arms, but then gave me a genuine smile. "She found me last night. She missed Lord Sesshoumaru and we had a nice talk. He is lucky to have her around."  
  
"She is sweet. How did your training go, Yuki?" I murmured, knowing that she could hear me with her demon ears. A thought struck me. "Did you make it snow last night?"  
  
She gave me another smile and set down Rin on a nearby blanket. Beckoning to me, she went outside. "I didn't make it snow, that was nature, but I did manage to do a lot more than I would've thought possible without a mentor." Yuki seemed to be proud of herself for a moment, but then her face fell. "I'm a stupid, stupid little girl, Kagome. I'm over one hundred years old, and yet I act like a child."  
  
"What're you talking about, Yuki?" A heavy weight settled in my stomach. If this was about what I thought it was about, I'd be making a tearful confession very soon.  
  
We were wandering farther and farther from Kaede's hut. Yuki sighed and hugged herself, even though I knew she didn't feel the cold. "I have been careless and have fallen in love with my Lord Sesshoumaru." She looked at me, and seemed to be amazed at her own words.  
  
My heart sank. So she really did love him, despite all appearances. "How can you love him so soon? You've only known him a few weeks."  
  
"Youkai don't experience emotion like humans. Humans take too long to decide what they feel. Demons know if they're in love much quicker. We have a different definition of love anyway." She frowned. "But this mating, it was supposed to be political. I give him an heir and he removes my family's dishonor. I don't understand what happened."  
  
Trying to put off the inevitable, I muttered, "What do you mean?"  
  
Yuki clenched her jaw briefly. "That night of Kagura's confrontation, he cornered me and told me that my services were no longer necessary. He said he would sooner have Inuyasha inherit the kingdom than any child of mine."  
  
That was a bit harsh. I cringed. "Oh gods. But I thought youkai mated for life." I felt my eyes water.  
  
"We do. Which means that I will either have a long, lonely life tucked away in some corner of his palace... or he'll kill me." She stopped when she noticed tears running down my face. "Kagome? Are you okay?"  
  
I fell to my knees. "Yuki, I'm so sorry! Sesshoumaru and I talked that night and I implied that he had fallen in love with you! And... and..." I couldn't bring myself to finish.  
  
Yuki knelt in front of me. "And he took it to mean that he had become weak with emotion," she finished in a deadpan tone. I just nodded as she stood up and sighed. "Get up, Kagome. I'm not going to lie and say I'm not angry, but you had good intentions. It was foolish for me to fall in love with him, perhaps this will erase those feelings."  
  
"You're going to just let him go? You want to fall out of love? Why don't you..." I caught sight of her face and stopped.  
  
She was glaring at me. "Kagome, I shall deal with this myself. Remember that I am a demon. We do not feel as humans feel." She sighed and put her hand to her forehead. "I'm going to go back and take care of Rin. Sesshoumaru seems to have forgotten about her as well."  
  
Yuki was gone before I could say anything else. 


	19. Dokkasou

A/N: If you haven't figured it out yet, we're nearing the end of the story. I know/have written everything down except one thing – what to do with the jewel? What wish do you think Kagome/Inuyasha/anyone else should make? SUGGESTIONS PLEASE... seriously, if I don't get an idea, it's going to be a pretty pendant for eternity. Haha. ALSO – if you aren't a member of ff.net and want to know when I update, just tell me in your review or email me. When the story ends (in a few chapters), tell me if you want to continue to know about new stories I write.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 18: Dokkasou  
  
We stayed in the village for nearly a week. During the day, we trained constantly. Shippou was developing his illusionist skills and I was practicing archery more than ever. Yuki was slowly getting a grasp of her snow powers, but she didn't dare trying the darker side of her magic. Miroku and Sango also frequently escaped to 'train'.  
  
Inuyasha spent much of his time with Kikyo. For the first time in three years, I didn't feel jealous. He hadn't expressed love for me, or even denied that he still loved Kikyo, but our conversation in the forest had established one thing. He was my best friend and so I would never truly lose him.  
  
Other than the training and the dead miko wandering around, life was getting strangely peaceful. My family frequently came to see us practice. Their new hut was completely finished and my mother seemed quite content to spend her days helping Kaede. It made me wonder if she actually wanted to go back home.  
  
Rin and Souta had become fast friends in our absence, and when Shippou wasn't training, the kitsune joined their games. Having Mom around freed Jaken to attend to Sesshoumaru's wishes and the toad had immediately taken advantage of that fact. We hadn't seen him or his master for days. Inuyasha kept grumbling about traitors, while Yuki stayed silent. She had forgiven my actions, but not herself. I often caught her scratching at the crescent moon on her forehead, failing miserably in trying to erase it. No matter what she said, I knew she did indeed feel as humans feel. She was heartbroken.  
  
Five days after our return to the village, I was sitting with my mother, watching Yuki and Shippou perform illusion tricks for Souta and Rin. "Mom? Do you want to stay here?"  
  
My mother smiled and leaned against a tree. "Kagome, I do like it here very much, but I have responsibilities in our time. Not to mention the fact that Souta needs to go to school. He's too young to miss so much, really. Although I'm sure he'll catch up once you and Inuyasha beat this Naraku, and we return home."  
  
I bowed my head slightly. She said 'we'. I didn't know how to tell her how hard it would be for me to leave this era.  
  
"Kagome! Look at me!" Shippou called. I looked up and laughed. There was a smiling Inuyasha where Shippou had been moments before. He turned around. "Look! No tail!"  
  
The real Inuyasha came across the clearing and stared at Shippou. "Feh. Not that good of a copy, if you ask me." He crossed his arms and lifted his nose in his typical fashion.  
  
Shippou mimicked him and we all laughed.  
  
"Oh Shippou! You have Inuyasha down perfectly!" I declared. My eyes started tearing with laughter when Inuyasha glared at me.  
  
Finally, Shippou returned to his normal form and bounced over to me, with Yuki walking close behind. "He's advancing rapidly, Kagome," she commented. "You have a very talented son."  
  
My mother's eyes widened for a moment, but Shippou quickly calmed her fears. "Don't worry, Mrs. Higurashi. Kagome is like my adopted mom. She takes care of me."  
  
"Just like my Lady Yuki does for Rin!" chirped the little girl who had followed the blue-haired demon over to us. She held out a few wildflowers to Yuki, who immediately set upon making a flower chain for Rin's hair.  
  
She was done in seconds. "Yes, Rin-chan, just like me taking care of you," she said softly as she set the flower crown on the girl's head.  
  
Rin immediately grabbed Shippou and dragged him back to Souta, who was bugging Inuyasha about Tetsusaiga. The hanyou looked a bit overwhelmed as my brother plagued him with questions.  
  
Bored of watching Inuyasha squirm, I took out the Orb and held it up to the light.  
  
"Figure anything out about the Orb?" asked Yuki. She had begun to clean her sword next to me.  
  
"No, I just can't figure out what the seer wanted me to do with it." I sighed and let my hand drop. "If I can't figure it out, what good will it do?"  
  
"Well, I agree with Kaede, you'll figure it out when the time comes," my mother said.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin's voice carried across the clearing. My head jerked up and, sure enough, the Western Lord was greeting Rin. About time he came back. I shook my head in annoyance. Yuki sat next to me, her head still bent over her katana.  
  
After a few minutes, he walked over to us and stood in front of Yuki. "Will my mate not welcome my return?" His face was impassive.  
  
She turned cold eyes onto him. "I was not aware you had a mate in your grace, my Lord." She pulled back when he took the katana out of her hands. "What are you doing? That is my weapon. Why would you want something made by a human?"  
  
"Wench, bite your tongue before you insult me further. It is worthless anyway." He threw down the sword so the point was buried in the earth and beckoned to Rin. The little girl ran and collapsed in Yuki's lap, but didn't stop staring in adoration at Sesshoumaru. "My Lady will take care of Rin. She will also treat me with the proper respect and dress appropriately for a youkai of her station. She will give me an heir or several if I so wish. She will adhere to my rules and my word. If that is all perfectly clear, you may return to me as my mate."  
  
After removing Rin from her lap, Yuki stood up and put her hands on her hips. "And my Lord will give me the respect I deserve. He will help me raise and protect any children under our care. And he will once in awhile stop being a cold jackass and admit his feelings." She let out a long breath and brushed her hair out of her eyes.  
  
Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at her and then leaned forward. "What have you done to your forehead? To my mark?"  
  
She twitched and pressed her hair back over her marred crescent moon mark. "Do we have to talk about this here and now?"  
  
"As the young miko told me, it is impossible to keep secrets within this group. An irritating fact I have experienced several times already."  
  
Before Yuki could talk back, there was a crash of lightening and an old man on a three-eyed ox appeared. My mother jumped and grabbed my arm but I just rolled my eyes. Totosai always had a knack for showing up at the strangest moments. I just wished it hadn't been when Sesshoumaru was making a poor attempt at reconciliation. The old man's huge eyes peered around him for a few moments while we all recovered from our surprise.  
  
"Totosai! You old codger! What are you doing here?" asked Inuyasha. He stalked up to the demon sword-smith.  
  
"He's here on my request, little brother," explained Sesshoumaru. He turned to Totosai. "You did not keep pace very well, old man. Give me the sword."  
  
"Ah, yes. Lord Sesshoumaru, you remember our deal. I would make the sword only if you didn't touch it. Can't say I trust you with it." He lifted a katana that had been sitting in his lap. "It turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. Where is she?" Sesshoumaru pulled Yuki to her feet, and immediately released her hand. Totosai scratched his head and took in Yuki's leather-clad figure. "She doesn't look like she's from around here."  
  
"Of course she isn't, old man! Sesshoumaru, what the hell is this about a new sword? The last time you actually succeeded in getting a new sword, it's smith came after us possessed by a demon's aura." Inuyasha was glaring at his brother.  
  
The Western Lord just shifted his eyes to Yuki, who now held the katana with a look of awe on her face. It sang as she released it from its sheath and gleamed with a green light. "Try it out, girl," encouraged Totosai. "It is called Dokkasou. It seems to take after Lord Sesshoumaru's claws."  
  
"Poison..." Yuki whispered as she took a few practice swings that left streaks of shimmering green behind. She stopped in mid-swing and looked at Sesshoumaru. "This is where you've been. You had Totosai use your own fang, didn't you?"  
  
"Of course. Where else would I find a fang powerful enough for the Lady of the Western Lands?" His voice was cold and sarcastic, but I watched his eyes linger on her face for a moment too long.  
  
"I just can't believe you actually went out and had this made, when you hated me so much. Or at least that's how you acted," she whispered. She seemed too surprised to care what effect her words would have.  
  
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Don't get too excited, woman. I had originally planned for the sword to be an incentive for you to return to your own time."  
  
"A bribe?" questioned Yuki. "That seems a bit underhanded for you. Why didn't you just kill me?"  
  
He swallowed and I realized that we were all staring at him. I averted my gaze until I heard him whisper, "I couldn't." He fixed his amber eyes on Yuki and lifted his chin to its usual position. "Rin would be heartbroken if I killed you."  
  
Yuki was smiling softly as she sheathed Dokkasou. She bit her lip in thought, walked up to Sesshoumaru and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, my Lord Sesshoumaru." She pulled away. Bowing, she gave him a shy smile. "And thank you for the beautiful sword."  
  
Sesshoumaru stood rigidly with his arms at his sides until she let go. "You are welcome," he finally said. After glancing around him at our shocked faces, he smirked at Yuki. "Does this mean I get my heir soon?"  
  
Yuki smiled and shrugged. "We'll see."  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"That's the only time I've ever seen Sesshoumaru shocked," I teased Yuki. "Except for the time when I pulled out the Tetsusaiga when neither he nor Inuyasha could." We were sitting down to breakfast the next morning.  
  
The Lady of the Western Lands ran her fingers down the edge of Dokkasou. "I can imagine that was a pretty big blow to his considerable ego." She grasped her chest in mock horror. "A human! Touching the Tetsusaiga? Unthinkable!"  
  
I raised an eyebrow. She had really loosened up since killing Ryu. "You get mean when you're in love."  
  
Yuki rolled her eyes and set her katana down again. "Yesterday afternoon, after his little confession, he told me my swordsmanship was atrocious. Then, he mentioned how he should go and kill some humans because he hasn't spilt enough blood recently. I think I'm allowed to make fun of him a bit, since he so obviously delights in teasing me."  
  
"Ah, so he's trying to recoup his manliness?"  
  
"Demonic prowess, yes. Doesn't Inuyasha do that?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "It's his defining trait. Show emotion and then make all attempts to erase that fact from everyone's mind."  
  
She smiled and let her fingers glide across the wooden floor. "Men are such difficult creatures, demon or not. Nevertheless, I am pleased that Inuyasha is now my brother. And maybe I'll have a sister soon too." She winked at me.  
  
I blushed, but was saved from answering by the entrance of Jaken.  
  
"My Lady! Lord Sesshoumaru commands your presence outside!" He turned a disdainful eye to me. "The human is to come also."  
  
"Jaken." Her voice had dropped its playful tone and now sounded deadly.  
  
"Um... Yes, my Lady?" He stuffed his hands inside in sleeves and bowed his head slightly.  
  
"Treat Kagome as you would treat me or our Lord Sesshoumaru, or I shall be very displeased. And then I might use you for practicing my snow magic." Her eyes flashed blue.  
  
Jaken yelped. "Yes, my Lady!" He scampered out the door.  
  
Yuki smiled. "My Lord is right. That is fun." She tugged on my sleeve. "Come on, let's see what the boys are up to."  
  
We walked out into the rice paddies, where the rest of the group had already congregated. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Miroku were talking in low tones while Kikyo, Sango and the wolves hovered around them. Jaken yelped and tried to scamper away when Yuki approached, but Sesshoumaru caught him by the collar. "Jaken, tell the others what you told this Sesshoumaru."  
  
"Yes, my Lord." He cleared his throat. "My Lord Sesshoumaru has not been idle. He commanded me to travel to the Western Lands and gather his army. I did so. Unfortunately, an entire army cannot move as quickly as one demon, such as myself. They will not be arriving for a few days, and I have heard news that Kagura and Kanna will be attacking much sooner than that."  
  
"Where did you hear that?" questioned Inuyasha with a snarl.  
  
"One of our scouts came back," he paused, "in pieces. It took me awhile to get the blood off the accompanying scroll with the information, but I finally managed it." He finished with a simpering smile at Sesshoumaru, who just glared in return.  
  
"So what do we do about it?" I asked.  
  
"Well, we should at least be able to choose our battleground," said Kouga. "We should camp away from the village, where we have higher ground and a good lookout."  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "The mangy wolf is right for once. The large field to the south should be good."  
  
An hour later, we were standing in the field, and the wolf clan immediately began setting up camp. The others wandered away quickly as well. Inuyasha and Yuki decided to spar a bit, since Yuki was so eager to test Dokkasou. Sesshoumaru settled near the fire with Jaken hovering around his feet. Sango and Miroku once again disappeared and Shippou decided to watch the sparring match. This left Kouga and me standing alone, awkward and silent. As the quiet set in, I realized that I wasn't sure why I had allowed our friendship turn sour. When had it become hard to talk to him?  
  
"Kagome."  
  
I looked up at the wolf prince. "Yes, Kouga?"  
  
"You're beautiful and I love you."  
  
Well, he certainly got right down to it. My face flushed and I started to stammer, but he just held up his hand to silence me.  
  
"I wanted you to know that before I let you go." He sounded apologetic.  
  
I blinked. "Huh?"  
  
He grabbed my hand. "I know that you have feelings to sort out. For some reason, dog turd has gotten mixed up in it. Our connection is also interfering with your concentration on this battle. So I think that I should free you from our promise to each other. You no longer have to be my mate."  
  
"Oh, okay." My eyes were nearly popping out of my head.  
  
He winked at me. "When you know what you want, we'll talk again. And remember, if dog turd gives you any more trouble, I'll always be here for you." With that, he turned away and went to help his clan.  
  
I bit my lip and, after a moment, twisted to watch Inuyasha and Yuki fight, but when I did, I found they had stopped. They were both staring at me with sad, curious eyes. Yuki finally gave me a soft smile as I walked towards them. "So," she began with a casual tone, "it's finally over between you two?"  
  
After glancing at Inuyasha, I gave her a half-smile. "I didn't even know it had even started." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Inuyasha grin at the ground for a moment.  
  
Suddenly, Sango and Miroku burst through the foliage to my left. Miroku ran up to Inuyasha. "I sense demon auras. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands."  
  
Yuki closed her eyes and sniffed the air. "He's right. I have no idea how they've hidden their scent from us for so long." She sheathed Dokkasou and darted over to the camp to alert the others.  
  
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, "I think you should stay in back. Take out the flying demons with your arrows. I don't want you near the actual battle."  
  
I frowned but nodded. I had no skill with a sword and knew I would be of no use in the front line.  
  
Yuki strode up to me and pressed a small metal object into my hand. "It's a derringer. It only has five shots in it, so I don't want you to use it unless it's completely necessary." She caught the worried look on my face and flipped back the sides of her leather duster. Her sides were covered in ammunition and guns. "Don't worry, I have my own."  
  
"I thought you said I should stick with the arrows."  
  
She gave me a wry smile. "You should. Remember that it's just in case. If I hear the gun go off, I'll come and help you."  
  
"Thanks, Yuki. You really have moved past the self-preservation phase, haven't you?" I said as I checked to make sure the safety was on.  
  
Arching an eyebrow, she said, "Well, I don't know about that, but we might be getting there." She jerked her head up to the sky and frowned. "They're here."  
  
A/N: Okay... this chapter was originally going to be a simple little filler to bridge the gap from getting back to the village into the battle with Kagura, but it turned into much more, eh? I also used the chapter to fix the problem of Yuki's human-made sword – it wouldn't last against other demons' swords and attacks, so she needed a new one. Also... I know absolutely nothing about guns, but I always thought Millie from Trigun was very cool with her bazillion derringers (tiny guns that usually only hold one or two shots, although it goes up to five). If Kagome uses a gun, derringers are definitely her thing.  
  
Don't forget to review and tell me what you want as the wish on the jewel. Thanks! 


	20. Kagura and Kanna

Golden Fire  
Chapter 19: Kagura and Kanna  
  
The ground rumbled and a strong breeze raced across the field, bending the grass. I smiled as I found myself watching Inuyasha's white hair wave in the wind. Even when battle was imminent, I couldn't help myself from staring.  
  
Sango nudged me and I blushed, but she wasn't smiling. Her eyes were fixed on the opposite end of the field, where the trees were rustling. I squinted and realized they swayed against the wind. Demons swung out of the trees and began to pour from the dark forest. Kagura appeared in the sky and descended on her feather, accompanied by her sister, Kanna, and Kohaku. His eyes were deadened, and I knew he was completely under Naraku's control at the moment. The sisters and Kohaku remained at the far edge of the field watching us with an army at their back.  
  
"Kagome!" called Inuyasha over his shoulder. "Stay by me. Sesshoumaru and Yuki can take the flanks. The rest spread out and get ready."  
  
I nodded and pulled an arrow out of a tightly packed quiver.  
  
"Try not to hit yourself with Dokkasou, wench," Sesshoumaru said to his mate, who stood a few feet away.  
  
"Try to get the stick out of your ass, jerk," retorted Yuki.  
  
I smiled at them. They're words and voices held malice, but their eyes were amused and even playful. He smirked at her as she moved away to the right side of the field. "You two are so messed up," I whispered as she walked past.  
  
"I know," she muttered in return. "It's fun."  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice wiped the grin off my face. "Wake up and get your head outta the clouds. We have a fight to win."  
  
Kagura had finally walked up to us, with thousands of demons in tow. "Inuyasha. Naraku sends his regards."  
  
Snarling filled the air, and I recoiled a bit at the savage sound. Even Kouga had his lip curled up, which showed his long, deadly fangs.  
  
"Don't worry, wolf pup," growled the wind sorceress. "I plan to give you special attention." She let her fan fall open and made a sweeping motion.  
  
We jumped away from the wind blades slicing through the air. As I landed face-first into the dirt, I heard the battle begin around me. I lifted myself up, drew an arrow back and let it fly. It purified a large demon about to attack a wolf. He nodded in thanks and plunged into the battle.  
  
I noticed the poisonous insects buzzing around the fringe of the battle, preventing Miroku from using his wind tunnel. I searched for my friend and I found him slicing apart demons with his staff. Next to him, Sango continuously threw her boomerang and fought with her sword until her primary weapon returned to her. I marveled at her skill.  
  
"Kagome! Are you okay?" Shippou jumped up on my shoulder.  
  
"Yes, Shippou, I'm fine. Where have you been?" I asked as I loosed another arrow into the chest of a lizard demon. He immediately dissolved into dust as it purified him. I chanced a glance at the kitsune.  
  
"I was scared," he admitted.  
  
I smiled softly, partly to reassure him and partly in triumph as I purified another youkai. "Don't worry, Shippou. We'll be okay. We've beaten Kagura before. This time we have even more people on our side. But stay with me, okay?"  
  
"Sure, Kagome!" He hopped down stand next to my ankles and began to shoot fox fire at any demon that came too close.  
  
From my position behind the main fighting, I could easily watch my friends battle with the enemy. On my left, Sesshoumaru was tearing up demons easily with his poison claws. They literally melted, and their screams indicated it wasn't exactly painless. Next to him, Sango and Miroku continued to fight side by side. Inuyasha and Kouga were slicing apart dozens of demons at a time. At the other end, Yuki's sword made demons screech as they suffered from Sesshoumaru's poisonous gift.  
  
Kagura and Kanna were hovering toward the back of the battle, watching their comrades fall without moving to help them. Kohaku stood in front of them, holding his scythe and staring at the ground.  
  
Sango caught her weapon after it sliced through a particularly large bear youkai.  
  
"Go Sango!" I cried. She didn't turn to look at me but she nodded her acknowledgement as she let the boomerang go again.  
  
Suddenly, through the mass of movement, I noticed Kohaku's head snap up. Demons parted for him as he sped through the fray, directly towards his sister.  
  
"Sango! Watch out!" I yelled. She halted in mid-launch of her weapon to prevent herself from killing her little brother, who had just entered her range.  
  
"Kohaku!" she called out to him.  
  
He answered by tossing his scythe at her. She dodged and slashed apart a few youkai, keeping her eyes on Kohaku the entire time. I began to tremble with fear. Sango couldn't concentrate on fighting her little brother with the other demons around her. I began to fire my arrows at youkai surrounding my best friend.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Inuyasha rip apart a few boar demons and then jump into the air. He floated above the battle for a moment, focusing his golden eyes on Sango and Kohaku, and then shifted them to me. He landed next to Kikyo, spoke to her, and took up his previous position.  
  
Kikyo backed away from the battle and eventually joined me. "Inuyasha asked me to help you, since you are so concentrated on protecting Sango from her foolish actions. Why is she protecting that boy? She fights him but does not kill him." She shot a demon that had been creeping up on Kouga.  
  
"He's her little brother," I answered, slightly surprised she didn't know this already.  
  
She nodded and continued to fire into the battle.  
  
There was a strangled cry to my left and I looked over to see Kanna absorbing Sesshoumaru's soul into her mirror. I wondered why I hadn't seen her move and then remembered her teleportation ability. He was still standing, which was amazing, but could not lift a hand to help himself. I felt a pang of sympathy for him. I knew the feeling of having your soul ripped out, and the fear that accompanied it. Jaken danced around his master nervously. I realized that he couldn't use his Staff of Heads to burn Kanna if he wanted to keep his lord's soul from being extra crispy. If soul could burn at all, but he probably didn't want to take that chance.  
  
Yuki burst out of the battle with her eyes blazing. "My Lord!" she called. She descended towards him and Kanna. Letting out a battle cry, she swung at Kanna.  
  
"No, Yuki!" I yelled, reaching out with my hand. I had seen what happens when people attack Kanna with normal attacks. Sure enough, the pale, small demon removed a hand from the edge of her mirror and faced its palm towards Yuki, whose battle cry turned to one of surprise. She was repelled backwards by a pulse of energy, into the midst of the enemy youkai, who instantly fell on their new prey.  
  
Immediately, there was an explosion, or at least it seemed to be one. The youkai who had surrounded Yuki split apart, with their blood spraying everywhere. The Lady of the Western Lands sprang up with her eyes glowing once again. Her blue hair and pale hands were streaked with dark red blood. She landed next to me. "Weak youkai," she snarled as she peered at her claws. "Kagome, shoot Kanna's mirror."  
  
Nodding, I aimed my arrow carefully and shot at the disk. It was absorbed quickly.  
  
"Again," murmured Kikyo. "If you fill it with souls, it will break." She lifted her own bow and shot into the mirror. Yuki grunted in approval and bounded back into battle, staring back at Sesshoumaru with barely visible concern.  
  
Between the two of us, Kikyo and I shot about seven arrows into the mirror. Kanna could do nothing to stop us. If she let go of her hold on Sesshoumaru, he would kill her instantly. She attempted to move out of the way, but my aim had become too true, too close to Kikyo's own skill. Finally, I heard a satisfying shattering noise and saw a fleeting look of annoyance cross Kanna's face.  
  
"Oh dear," she said in that willowy voice of hers, as she looked down at the broken surface of the mirror. Souls began to stream out, including Sesshoumaru's. The mist of a half-consumed soul settled over him and he blinked a few times. After a few experimental flexes of his claws he snarled at Kanna.  
  
Before he could attack, I loosed another arrow and hit her in her chest. She fell backwards and shattered much like her mirror. Slivers of silver floated through the air where she had been moments before.  
  
The Western Lord turned to look at me and gave me an unreadable expression, which I answered with a glare of my own. I hoped that it would indicate my message. 'My kill'. She was not any else's to annihilate. She had stolen my soul first and I was the only one, besides Kikyo, with the power to destroy her. Even he couldn't have brought Kanna down without my help. Finally, Sesshoumaru nodded once in acceptance of my claim and faced battle again.  
  
I shook my head in awe at the instinctual urges flowing through me. Evidently, I had been hanging out with Inuyasha too much. Battle really brought out my own inner demons. After a moment, I turned my attention to Sango once again. Apparently, she had managed to knock out Kohaku and had laid him down at the edge of the battle. Shippou stood by his shoulder, throwing out a protective barrier of foxfire. Beyond him and Kohaku, I saw the white and red flash of Inuyasha battling the demons.  
  
Again, I shifted my attention and I found Kouga fighting Kagura. His speed alone allowed him to avoid her wind attacks, but neither seemed to be getting anywhere.  
  
"The wolf is tiring himself," Kikyo said, breaking into my thoughts. She fired an arrow into battle. "His strength and speed are admirable, but not what is needed to defeat Kagura."  
  
"He won't like it if we help him," I pointed out as I watched them clash. Their area of combat was full of small craters where Kouga had slammed down his fist. I turned back to the main battle. It was starting to thin out and I even spotted a few demons trying to creep away. I shot and destroyed a few of them. "There," I muttered. "Now they can't go crawling back to Naraku."  
  
Kikyo lowered her bow. "After this battle, I don't think they would want to, considering he set them up to die."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Kanna didn't avoid your arrow, and the rest of these demons are weaklings. No one on our side has died. Even the humans have killed dozens, possibly hundreds of youkai in the past hour. I believe Naraku is trying to weaken us with this nonsense before the real battle begins."  
  
After I recovered from the shock of hearing Kikyo utter that many words at once, I let her words sink in. "But that would mean Naraku allowed Kanna to die." I had seen how the evil hanyou had treated her, and it seemed that she had been his favorite incarnation.  
  
"From the way she responded to us shooting her mirror and how she didn't even try to move to avoid your arrow, I think she sacrificed herself. Kagura seems to be a bit more resistant to that idea, of course." She motioned to the continuing fight between the wolf and wind sorceress. Kagura was not easily giving up.  
  
"If this is all true, then we're really screwed," I said as I reached behind my shoulder and felt an empty quiver.  
  
Sesshoumaru walked up to us, with Jaken at his side. He looked unruffled as usual, in strong contrast to his mate, who was approaching from our right. Yuki was still covered in blood and scrunched up her nose as her claws combed through her hair stiff with the sticky red liquid. "That's two jackets ruined," she complained as she peeled off the blood-encrusted duster.  
  
"Now you can dress appropriately as this Sesshoumaru ordered you," he said.  
  
Yuki sighed, rolled her eyes, and began to lick her claws clean of her kills' blood. I grimaced, and thanked the gods Inuyasha hadn't inherited that particular youkai habit.  
  
Like an audience in a movie theater, we silently turned to watch what we instinctively knew would be the last moments of the fight between Kouga and Kagura.  
  
I forced my attention back to the fight. The wolf prince definitely was using a last spurt of energy to try and take out the wind sorceress. He attacked over and over again, not giving her the breadth to even wave her fan. She only had time to dodge his claws.  
  
"Just die!" he yelled as he leapt at her. Kagura narrowly avoided his sharpened nails.  
  
"The wolf is getting smarter," muttered Kikyo. "He's anticipating where she'll jump to, instead of attacking where she was."  
  
And he was. Every attack landed closer and closer to Kagura's throat. Parts of her kimono were in ribbons, but she still held her fan and I knew it was a matter of time before she got an opportunity to use it.  
  
As I was thinking this, Kouga finally landed a powerful punch. Not on Kagura, but the very weapon that would easily destroy him. The fan snapped in half and the wind sorceress gave out a cry of distress. The wolf paused in his attacks to smirk at his now defenseless opponent. "You can't fight me with your claws. Give up now."  
  
"How I wish that was an option." They glared at each other for a moment and then Kagura hesitantly reached up to her hair, arrayed with a few feathers. I tensed, knowing that if Kouga didn't strike soon, she would make an escape. But as soon as her fingers touched the white feather in her raven black hair, she hissed in pain. Her hand moved to her chest and grabbed the front of her kimono.  
  
"What's happening?" asked Yuki. "Why doesn't she fly away like the coward she so obviously is?"  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked and I knew he heard the annoyance in her voice. Kagura probably hadn't been her favorite person, since her attempted seduction of the Western Lord. "Naraku holds her heart. He is not allowing her to flee."  
  
"So he does want her dead," I stated. "Why?"  
  
"I have a bad feeling we'll know the answer to that question very soon," responded Yuki, continuing to lick her fingers clean. She stood, drew out one of six guns that adorned her sides and checked the clip. "I would shoot her, but Kouga needs to do this himself." Malice laced her voice and her eyes glowed blue briefly.  
  
I turned back to the fight and gasped when I saw Kagura throw Kouga into a tree. She had decided to fight to her very last breath then. Her fan lay discarded among the bodies of her fallen comrades. I sniffed and held my head in an Inuyasha-like way. Those two incarnates really had nothing when they didn't have their precious weapons.  
  
Kouga picked himself up the ground and snarled a bit. He lunged again and, before he even left the ground, I saw that this blow would count. But just as his claws came close to her throat, something else happened. Kagura's eyes grew wide and unfocused. She stumbled, clutched at her chest and collapsed to the ground. Kouga landed mere inches from her and bounced away, as if he was afraid that whatever affected her would hurt him as well. Kagura's body sprawled across the ground and I knew she was dead.  
  
Silence crept over the battlefield as she fell. Even Inuyasha, who had been roaming around, killing stragglers, paused and watched Kouga.  
  
"I didn't... I didn't touch her," choked out Kouga, like he had never intended to hurt the wind sorceress. Suddenly, his eyes flared in anger. "My kill has been taken from me! Why have I been denied vengeance?" He yelled the words to the surrounding forest.  
  
I shifted my weight uneasily from one foot to another. That was a question to which we all wanted the answer.  
  
A cold chill swept across the large clearing and I shuddered. I felt a sudden pull on my heart. "Inuyasha!" I called.  
  
The hanyou's head snapped up and came to my side in a second. "What is it, Kagome?" He was still staring at Kagura's dead body and Kouga's angry stance.  
  
"Jewel shards. Dozens of them. Naraku must be here."  
  
"He's been here all along, I bet," growled Inuyasha. "Just watching us and waiting for a good moment to attack."  
  
"Wise observation, Inuyasha." Naraku's chilling voice made me shiver again. He appeared at the edge of the forest near Kagura, wearing his usual baboon pelt. Kouga immediately darted away. The evil hanyou watched the wolf prince move with a malevolent gleam to his eye. "Kagura was becoming such a nuisance and you were taking entirely too long in killing her for me. Forgive me." His last words were laced with sarcasm.  
  
"Why did you let Kanna die too? I thought she was your little pet, Naraku," huffed Inuyasha. Tetsusaiga was drawn and ready, but I knew that Naraku would be taunting us a bit more before the actual fight.  
  
The baboon pelt moved slightly and I guessed that he had shrugged. "Kanna did as any good pet would do and gave herself up for my own advantage."  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Miroku and Sango quietly move Kohaku's body towards the edge of the forest and away from the inevitable battlefield. They laid him down and readied their weapons.  
  
My heart began to flutter. I had no arrows left. Kikyo only had a few and, considering her aim was better, I should let her keep them. My hand rested on my waist, where Yuki's gun was tucked in. Next to it, the strings of a small pouch were taut with the weight of the Orb of Sada. My mother had sewn it together when she saw the fist-sized sphere, and had tied it to my jeans' belt loops. I had almost forgotten about it.  
  
Naraku moved quickly to the center of the field. "Shall we begin?" he mocked as he threw down several wooden objects.  
  
I flinched as dozens of his puppets sprang up. Copies of Naraku and almost as deadly, we had never taken on this many at once. Then again, we'd never had this many allies at once either.  
  
The real Naraku, if it had been him, melted into the sea of mimics. In addition, another wave of demons, accompanied by poisonous insects, poured out of the trees. The youkai looked bigger, stronger and faster than the previous squadron, and I knew that this had to be Naraku's actual army. I groaned. This was not going to be fun.  
  
A/N: I'm sorry about the lack of detail in the fight between Kagura and Kouga, but every scene I wrote came out sounding flat and boring. I think it's because Kouga really doesn't have many interesting attacks. He's speedy and strong, but that's about it. Not really too fun to write. Sorry! (He's still kind of a cutie... haha.) But next chapter will be oriented around the big battle (obviously). 


	21. The Final Battle

A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than usual, but I think it came out fairly well. All things considering, that is. Hope you enjoy it! By the way, I have decided what to do with the wish on the jewel (and it will be addressed in the epilogue). Thanks to everyone who contributed their suggestions.  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 20: The Final Battle  
  
The puppets stood unmoving and silent while the army growled, scratched and snarled. A few flying youkai were in the skies above us, circling like vultures. My friends and comrades spread out into their former positions. I stepped back and out of the way. I had no arrows and my miko energy had been depleted by the first battle. I would be of no use to anyone. I couldn't even tell Inuyasha and the others which was the real Naraku. Although I felt the presence of the jewel shards, I didn't see which figure held them. It was a strange sensation, to know something was there but unable to pinpoint its location.  
  
I could immediately see that my friends were having a harder time dealing with this group of demons. Tetsusaiga, Tokijin and Dokkasou were working furiously to cut down the dangerous puppets, but it seemed as if each one had its own endless supply wooden figures that grew into more mimics of Naraku.  
  
Tentacles reached and probed out across the field and I could no longer see most of my comrades. The sea of copies had swallowed them up. I just hoped they hadn't literally been swallowed.  
  
Glancing around, I saw that the puppet front line had turned their backs to me. Enemies surrounded my friends and Inuyasha couldn't use Tetsusaiga's ultimate attack for fear of hurting the others.  
  
I ran over to Kohaku's prone body, which Shippou still guarded.  
  
"Kagome! I can't see any of them! What's happening?" He clung to my leg.  
  
"I don't know, Shippou. Can you smell or hear anything that might tell us they're alive?" My shaking hands couldn't move to remove him from his hold, and they didn't want to. Contact with the kitsune made me realize the need I had for comfort. I felt empty as he let go by his own choice and closed his eyes.  
  
"I hear Inuyasha and Kouga cursing. I can hear the crackling of Tokijin and smell poison. That could be Dokkasou!" He opened his eyes and looked up at me with hope in his eyes.  
  
"Perhaps," I answered sullenly, feeling that it was more likely to be Sesshoumaru's claws or another demon's attack. "What about Sango and Miroku?"  
  
"Nothing. There's so much blood, I can't tell if it's theirs or not."  
  
I shifted my eyes back to the battle and gasped when a wolf youkai stumbled out of the fray. He was covered in blood from head to toe and the puppets ignored him, letting him pass the line. He collapsed and didn't move.  
  
I turned away and choked back a sob. The wolf was dead.  
  
"Kagome! Watch out!" called Shippou. He threw foxfire at a spot behind me.  
  
I spun back around. Immediately I found out how foolish I had been to turn my back on a battle. Two puppets were approaching quickly.  
  
I glanced down at the unconscious Kohaku. I wouldn't let these puppets get him and the shard in his back. Naraku probably wanted it for an extra charge of energy. I pulled the Orb out of my pouch. "Hey! You!" I waved the Orb at them. "This could take out Naraku. Kill your precious master. Why don't you come and get it?"  
  
"Kagome! No!" Shippou's voice hit my ears as I began to run to the opposite side of the clearing and away from Kohaku.  
  
I circled wide around the puppets, who didn't give Kohaku a second glance before pursuing me. "Oh no," I said aloud. "I think they were after me the entire time. Just great, Kagome. Great. Inuyasha's gonna kill me for this. If I live."  
  
After reaching the tree line, I twisted around to face the mimics. Tugging out the derringer, I pointed it at them. "Don't come any closer!"  
  
They stopped twenty feet away. I didn't know if they realized what I was holding, but I was betting they did. After all, Ryu had been Naraku's companion for months. I hoped he had seen the destructive force of firearms.  
  
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I pulled the trigger. Thankfully, the kickback wasn't as bad as Yuki's larger guns. When I opened my eyes, I found that I had actually hit the puppet, but the bullet had only succeeded in ripping a hole through the baboon pelt. The wooden center hadn't been destroyed, and so the puppet still stood, basically unharmed.  
  
"Kagome? Kagome!" Dokkasou slashed through the two puppets' centers, splitting the original wooden dolls apart. Yuki's face smiled at me after the ruined animal pelts fell the ground. "Had to figure out how to kill them for myself. Nice of you guys to warn me."  
  
"Sorry 'bout that." I gave her a sheepish smile.  
  
We were close the edge of the battle and we looked to see that the wall of puppets had been broken. Youkai now could be seen through the gaps.  
  
"There's more puppets in the back," observed Yuki. She was fidgeting with the hilt of Dokkasou and I knew she was eager to get back into the fray.  
  
I nodded and rolled the Orb between my hands before depositing it back into my pouch. "Go help our friends," I whispered.  
  
"Stay safe, Kagome-chan," she said, using the affectionate term for the first time with me. Yuki bowed slightly and ran back to the fight. She slaughtered three demons with her first strike.  
  
Smiling, I began to go back to Shippou and Kohaku. I would protect that boy if it was the only useful thing I did during this fight.  
  
As I walked by a gap in the wall of puppets, something warm and wet hit my face. Wondering if some youkai had spit on me, I touched my cheek. Bringing my hand in front of my face, I was disgusted to see blood.  
  
Turning to my right, I saw what had caused the splatter that had covered me. "Yuki!" I breathed.  
  
She was standing with her back to me with her head turned over her left shoulder. Her eyes were large and filled with a deep sadness.  
  
"Yuki..." I repeated as my eyes traveled down to the icicle tearing through her chest. It pulled out of her to leave a large hole through her body. My mind flashed to images of Inuyasha with Sesshoumaru's claws through his chest. She would survive, just like Inuyasha did. Right?  
  
She stumbled and fell to her knees, revealing another snow demon, obviously a full-blooded one. He snarled and swiped his claws across her throat. Her head rolled back and she fell onto her side. Seemingly black blood spilled out onto the grass, staining it immediately. Her eyes were open and fearful, but completely vacant.  
  
My friend was dead.  
  
I found my voice. "Yuki!" I screamed. It sounded shrill and far away to my ears.  
  
Sesshoumaru appeared in a white blur. Keeping his red-edged eyes on his mate, he sliced the snow youkai apart with his hand and the demon fell into pieces. Kneeling down, the Western Lord brushed his fingers across Yuki's forehead, tracing her crescent moon marking.  
  
A breeze began to race across the clearing and I watched in fear as Sesshoumaru's eyes began to glow red. His skin paled and his stripes thickened while his face lengthened. I had seen Sesshoumaru transform into his true form once before and I knew that nothing would stop him now. I scrambled back, towards Shippou and Kohaku, trying to stifle my sobs.  
  
"What's happening, Kagome?" He watched Sesshoumaru become an orb of light, which I knew was the last stage of his transformation.  
  
I couldn't answer. I could only watch as a now fully changed dog demon towered forty feet over the battle. He crushed several puppets as he maneuvered himself into a defensive stance over Yuki's body. It looked tiny and insignificant between his huge paws. No, not 'it', I told myself. 'She'.  
  
"Shippou," I said. "Stay here." I felt a burning in my heart that had to be quenched. I ran directly into battle, ignoring my adopted son's cries.  
  
Going through a gap in the wall of puppets, I dodged several youkai who were looking for a new target. After a few minutes, I found a battered sword in the hand of a dead demon. From the sizeable green hole in his stomach, he had probably been a victim of Sesshoumaru. I grabbed the sword and concentrated my miko power to purify its blade. It was much easier than I thought it would be.  
  
As it began to glow with a pink light, the youkai around me fell back. "Oh no," I growled, sounding much like Inuyasha. "You don't get away that easy."  
  
I swung the katana several times, purifying the demons surrounding me. I might not have the swordsmanship skills of Inuyasha, but the slightest touch from my purified weapon destroyed my enemies. Trying to focus, I reached out in my mind to find the jewel shards and was annoyed when I realized I still couldn't pinpoint their location.  
  
The burning in my chest increased. "Naraku!" I screamed out. "Come and fight me!"  
  
Puppets encircled me almost immediately. "You wish to take me on, little miko?" The voice came from all around me, followed by a cold, low chuckle. "You cannot possibly win."  
  
"Which one of you is the real Naraku? I want to speak to him and only him."  
  
There was a pause. "You must first give up the Orb. And those shards around your neck as well."  
  
My free hand flew to the pouch at my hip. I could only imagine what kinds of power he might gain from the Orb. What fearsome things would he do if he became the master of the Orb?  
  
My chest suddenly felt as if it had erupted into a raging fire and I remembered the seer's words. I was the true master of this crystal sphere. I was chosen by destiny. It would not work for Naraku. And I knew in that moment that it would also destroy him.  
  
I raised my head defiantly and pushed down my feelings of fear. "A compromise. I'll give you the Orb and the real one of you reveals himself. Then we'll talk about the shards." I wondered what legend of the Orb he had heard. If, like us, he knew it would 'vanquish a great evil', I suspected he would want it immediately destroyed. But maybe he didn't know even that much about it.  
  
One pelt covered figure stepped forward. "Very well. I agree to your compromise."  
  
Kneeling down, I rolled the Orb to him. It rested inches from the edge of the baboon pelt. Okay, Kagome. Just convince him that you really want to fight now. "So, you have the damn thing. Now do as you promised and fight me. When you kill me, you can take the shards."  
  
Naraku bent over and grasped the sphere. Straightening, he began to laugh. "Well, well. This is the thing that was to destroy me? That seer really didn't do a very good job then, did she?"  
  
My heart wrenched. This didn't look good. I had just signed my own death warrant.  
  
As I was about to silently curse the seer for not telling me what to do, Naraku gave a soft cry. My head jerked up and I saw the Orb glowing in Naraku's vile hand. Light streamed out of the crystal with amazing vitality. My heart felt as if it was being consumed by a fire. The light hit the baboon pelt and melted it instantly. It had been just another puppet. I should have known.  
  
The Orb fell to the ground, but continued to issue forth light. The puppets tried to move away, but as soon as the light hit them, they were liquefied. The sphere gave one final pulse of blinding light and then shattered. A calm, refreshing water seemed to enter my heart and wash away the blaze.  
  
I opened my eyes and let them readjust to the normal daylight. Youkai still littered the battlefield, but they and my friends paused when they surveyed the clearing. Not a single puppet was left and suddenly, I could feel the presence and location of the jewel shards directly behind me.  
  
Turning, I saw the last robed figure of the circle still standing. The jewel shards were around his neck. This truly, then, was the real Naraku.  
  
"Foolish girl. I have more power than ever before. I have been restored the life energy previously invested into Kagura and Kanna. I have the majority of the jewel. And as for my puppets, I just need to create more!" He threw down more wooden figurines.  
  
But they just laid there, soaking up blood from the grass. I grinned. "The Orb has revealed you, Naraku. You can't hide from us anymore."  
  
Easily, he moved and backhanded me with such force that I went flying. My stomach crashed into the trunk of a large tree and I heard the sickening crack of my bones breaking. I fell to the ground facing the battlefield and struggled to remain conscious.  
  
"Kagome!" yelled Inuyasha.  
  
I tried to get up, but the sheer pain forced me down again. It felt as if my organs were splitting apart, and I knew I must have serious internal bleeding, as well as a few broken ribs.  
  
"Kagome!" gasped the man I loved when he reached me. As he ran his hands over my back and sides, he gave me such a concerned stare, that I almost believed he returned my feelings. "You're hurt really badly." His voice was strained.  
  
I smiled dreamily at him. When he spoke, I didn't have any more pain. "Actually, I think I'm dying, Inuyasha."  
  
"No... I promised you." He squeezed his eyes shut and let his hands rest on my arms.  
  
Naraku's soft, evil laugh wafted across the field. "My, my, Inuyasha. You really can't protect any of your women, can you?"  
  
"Don't listen to him, Inuyasha," I begged, as he began to growl. "You've done nothing but protect me for years." I gripped his hand tightly.  
  
Another breeze swept across my face as Inuyasha bowed his head. When he lifted it, his eyes were blood red and purple streaks ran down his cheekbones. His claws had grown longer and now pierced my skin.  
  
"No..." I whispered. "Inuyasha, don't turn into a demon. Please." I closed my eyes to crush away my tears and felt his hand slip out of mine.  
  
When I opened my eyes, he was facing Naraku and flexing his fully transformed demon claws.  
  
I heard footsteps. "Kagome-chan." Sango sat next to me, and I saw that she cradled a broken arm and several lacerations on her body. I knew that she didn't ask about my own health because she could see how serious my wounds were. I frowned, annoyed that I had allowed Naraku to use his strength against me.  
  
"Sango, are you alright? You shouldn't be here if you're badly hurt."  
  
My best friend shook her head. "Sesshoumaru is on the rampage. He's killed every demon remaining on the field in revenge for Yuki." She was sniffling a little, trying to keep back tears.  
  
I twisted my head slightly and saw the large white dog demon sitting at the edge of the clearing, behind a sea of dead demons. He was curled up around his mate's body, licking his few wounds and growling in Naraku's direction.  
  
"What about the others?"  
  
"Kouga and his clan have taken their injured and dead to camp. Kikyo is helping them. Miroku is guarding Shippou and Kohaku. And you can see what Inuyasha is doing."  
  
I sighed, and winced at the pain that simple breathing caused.  
  
"Blades of blood!" yelled Inuyasha as he took the red liquid from his own wound and threw it at Naraku.  
  
He dodged the red deadly blades and his hood fell back, exposing his black hair and devilish eyes. "Foolish boy!" he spat. Tentacles sprang out from underneath the pelt.  
  
Inuyasha sliced through the approaching appendages and jumped towards Naraku once again. He ripped apart the baboon skin and cut Naraku's chest deeply, causing blood to spurt out onto Inuyasha's clothes.  
  
"This seems way too familiar," Sango mentioned to me. "He's faked his death once before."  
  
"I think the Orb will prevent any more trickery like that from Naraku. Just in case, could you get me a bow and arrows?"  
  
"Kagome, you can't barely move."  
  
"I can if you help me. Please, Sango," I pleaded. "I need to help Inuyasha."  
  
The demon exterminator sighed a little and set her mouth into a thin line, but finally agreed and moved off.  
  
Inuyasha drew out Tetsusaiga and transformed it and I watched Naraku's eyes go wide. Mine were the same. How could he be holding the Fang and still be in his demonic form?  
  
"Kaze no Kizu!" Several ruptures ran along the ground, pushing away dead bodies, going towards Naraku.  
  
The evil hanyou pushed off the ground and leapt over the deadly attack. When he landed, he immediately started forming his poisonous gas attack around Inuyasha.  
  
Coughing, Inuyasha moved back to escape the miasma. As the fog thickened, I lost sight of my hanyou for a few moments. I guessed that Naraku did as well, because he cursed and lowered his hand, allowing the miasma to dissapate.  
  
When it cleared, I felt the need to rub my eyes. I knew I was in pain, but surely it hadn't effected my brain or eyesight, right? Yet there they were. Two Inuyashas. Two demonic Inuyashas standing side by side brandishing two Tetsusaigas.  
  
Naraku leapt forward through the lingering traces of his poisonous cloud. He backhanded the Inuyasha on his right much like he had done to me.  
  
As his back turned to the left Inuyasha for a split second, the inuyoukai took his chance. He lifted Tetsusaiga and carved Naraku into two separate pieces. The yellow glow of the sword told me that Naraku had attacked the wrong one. His sense of smell had probably been thrown off by the two Inuyashas' proximity to each other and his own anger.  
  
I looked to where the false Inuyasha had fallen, and saw Shippou unconscious and bleeding on the ground. My breathing quickened as I watched Miroku gather up the damaged body of my adopted son. The monk caught my eyes across the field and gave me a soft smile, letting me know Shippou was alive and would be okay.  
  
The true Inuyasha was still tensed and battle-ready, even though Naraku's pelt lay cold in front of him. His enflamed eyes flickered around and I felt my heart jump when he spoke in his coarse demonic voice. "I know you're still here, Naraku." He buried Tetsusaiga into the ground, once again ripping the earth apart.  
  
The ground issued a harsh grinding noise and I watched as a large spider rose from the dust of Naraku's pelt. Enormous and purple, its red eyes locked onto Inuyasha's immediately. Its pincers snapped viciously.  
  
Without any quips, the two lunged at each other. I cringed, expecting a barrier around Naraku to repel Inuyasha, but nothing prevented his attack.  
  
Sango trudged up to me with a rickety bow and a few arrows in her hand. "This is the best I could do, Kagome."  
  
"Thanks, Sango. Help me sit up, please." I raised my arms and let Sango use her good hand to pull me to my knees. I bit my lip hard to resist from crying out and tasted blood when my teeth cut my mouth. My abdomen felt like it was collapsing in on itself. I steeled myself against the pain and watched for my opportunity to shoot a purified arrow.  
  
Inuyasha jumped back from a snap of Naraku's pincers, and smirked wickedly. "Today, you are the filthy half-breed and I am the demon." He crouched slightly and pushed off, making him a blur of red as he ran at demon-speed around Naraku. After making a circle around the evil hanyou, he stopped in front of the spider once again. "I wonder if you're still a spider without those eight legs of yours." Tetsusaiga was tinged with blood.  
  
Naraku's enormous eyes widened even further as his body slid off the support of his legs.  
  
Suddenly, a small figure darted onto the field. Kohaku! He had regained consciousness and had run away from Miroku.  
  
"Kohaku! No! What're you doing?" Sango cried. She reached out, forgetting about her broken arm and then hissing in pain when it reminded her of its injury.  
  
Kohaku settled before the spider and, before Inuyasha could respond, the pincers clipped out the shard in the young demon exterminator's back. He fell over dead before Naraku had even lifted his massive head.  
  
Inuyasha let out a low howl as Sango collapsed in tears beside me. The red- robed demon narrowed his eyes. "Making me angry is not the way to go, Naraku." He lifted Tetsusaiga once again.  
  
Brushing away my own tears, I raised my bow and knocked an arrow quickly. Carefully aiming at Naraku's head, I waited for Inuyasha's inevitable attack.  
  
Sure enough, before Naraku could swallow his newest acquisition, Inuyasha sped forward and drove Tetsusaiga deeply into the spider's abdomen. Simultaneously, I released my arrow and it hit home in Naraku's forehead. The purifying light combined with Tetsusaiga's yellow glow almost blinded me.  
  
"Grab the jewel, Inuyasha!" I screamed, despite the sudden fuzziness in my vision.  
  
When the light subsided, I was distressed to find that my sight was still blurred, but I still saw once of the most wonderful images possible.  
  
Inuyasha was standing in the field, holding Naraku's half of the jewel high above his head, while the lone shard from Kohaku's back flitted to the ground. Spider bones surrounded Inuyasha's feet.  
  
Sango whimpered behind me. "Kohaku..." she whispered.  
  
I closed my eyes, feeling another surge of anger. Naraku had taken her brother's life simply to cause a final moment of pain. He had succeeded.  
  
My heightened emotion caused my bones to grind and sent a sharp pain down my body. "Ah," I breathed as I fell down onto my side again. The impact caused me to cry out again, louder and more plaintively.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran over, not looking at the large jewel shard in his hand. His eyes were still blood red and his voice was still rough.  
  
Sango made a move to stop the full-blooded youkai version of Inuyasha, but fell back as he lay a cool hand to my forehead.  
  
"You're not going to die, Kagome. I promised you, remember?"  
  
I blinked slowly, watching his eyes grow larger in my blurry vision. As he moved closer, his eyes began to melt from red into his usual gold. The stripes on his cheeks began to fade and I felt his claws recede.  
  
"I won't let you die. You're my best friend and I... I care about you."  
  
I found that I couldn't speak anymore. I just smiled at him and his beautiful gaze before I closed my eyes and felt darkness consume me. 


	22. Awakening

A/N: I got a lot of interesting reviews for the last chapter. Many of you were convinced that I killed off Kagome. Just a hint – I don't change POVs in my stories. Haha. Anyway, this is the second to last update on this story... the last true chapter. Stay tuned for the epilogue though!  
  
Golden Fire  
Chapter 21: Awakening  
  
I heard someone singing softly as I rose out of sleep. The tune was sad, but full of hope and I found that I didn't want it to stop. I remained lying down with my eyes closed, despite my wakefulness. Unfortunately, with a little sniffle, the singer paused and moved next to me. I could feel fabric brush across my arm.  
  
Reluctantly, I cracked my eyes open and was met with a shadowy movement of blue and yellow. I reached out and grabbed at the blue, which felt like silk in my fist.  
  
"Ouch. Don't pull so hard, Kagome-chan."  
  
My eyes snapped fully open at the voice and I blinked, clearing away the vestiges of sleep in my sight. "Yuki!" I exclaimed. The Lady of the Western Lands sat next to me with her long blue hair flowing down her sides and wrapped in a simple daffodil colored kimono. When I tried to sit up, she gently pushed me back down, her touch confirming that she was real. I eyed her suspiciously after a moment. "You're dead. Does that mean I'm dead too?"  
  
Yuki put her hand to my forehead and smiled when she found I had no temperature. "I'm not dead and neither are you, thanks to Inuyasha."  
  
I ignored the last part of her sentence. "I saw you die. That snow demon..." I trailed off. I took a deep breath and realized I could smell the blood in the room, mixing with Yuki's scent of lilac.  
  
She frowned for a split second and then nodded. "Yes, I couldn't fight him off and I was careless. I died for that mistake."  
  
"And then Sesshoumaru came and killed him and then he turned into a big puppy." I spoke before remembering that the Western Lord and his mate might not like the nickname I had for him in my head.  
  
Her eyes just sparkled. "Well, I wouldn't call him a puppy to his face, but yes, he told me what happened while I was in the spirit world. He revived me after Naraku's death."  
  
"But he didn't use Tensaiga right away. He just transformed. If he could revive you immediately, why didn't he?" My mind was drowning in thoughts.  
  
She propped my head up, brought tea to my lips and spoke as I drank the warm liquid. "My, we are playing 'Twenty Questions', aren't we? Anyway, it's an instinctual thing, Kagome. My Lord Sesshoumaru had no time to calm his emotions and use Tensaiga before his heart called him to transform. Whenever a demon's mate, or intended mate, gets seriously injured or killed, the demon becomes hell-bent on vengeance." Her eyes took on a mischievous gleam as she looked at me.  
  
I blushed. "Are we still talking about you and Sesshoumaru?"  
  
Yuki shrugged. "Take it as you will." She took the cup from me and stood up. "Now, I must fetch your mother. She's been worried to death over you and will want to know you're awake."  
  
"What about the others? Are they okay?"  
  
The Western Lady arched a brow at my comment but smiled. "Of course. Every last one of them. Oh, a few cuts and bruises, but my Lord Sesshoumaru brought all the deceased back to life. Including Kohaku, who is slowly coming to peace with Naraku's manipulation. And Miroku's wind tunnel has disappeared, which he immediately celebrated by kissing Sango" she added with a wink, noticing my eager look. "Now don't move. You are still the most seriously wounded person we have. Just rest." She bowed and moved out of the room, which I now realized was the back room of Kaede's hut.  
  
As Yuki moved out of my sight, I saw that she had been blocking me from the other person in the room. Inuyasha lay on a mat a few feet away, bandaged up and asleep. The sunlight filtered in through cracks in the wall onto his relaxed body. He had cloth wrapped around his torso, his arms and hand. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized his wounds weren't serious.  
  
"Inuyasha?" I whispered. My body was sore and so I couldn't move to wake him. I had to content myself with watching him sleep.  
  
"He won't wake up for awhile, dear." My mother's voice floated in from the doorway.  
  
"Mom!" I cried, unbidden tears coming to my eyes.  
  
She knelt beside me and brushed her hand across my forehead. "Oh, my Kagome. I was so worried about you." She sat back with what looked like considerable effort. "But Kaede and Jaken say that you will be fine, and I must trust their word."  
  
I raised my eyebrow. "But Jaken isn't a healer."  
  
"I know," she agreed. "But he knows about demon blood better than Kaede. He oversaw the procedure that saved your life."  
  
Yuki's words came back to me and I turned my head to look at Inuyasha, who apparently had been my savior once again. "What do you mean, Mom?"  
  
"Inuyasha brought you back in his arms after the fight. He just kept muttering something about a promise. You were so pale. Jaken knew of an ancient method to save your life. In the past, a stronger youkai would mix blood with a weaker one, strengthening him and accelerating the healing process. Of course, since you're human, none of the demons could do it for you. Their blood would be like poison to you because of its strength." She paused and stroked my arm down to my hand, which I noticed had a bandage around it. "Inuyasha volunteered to do it. Being half human would allow his blood to strengthen you without killing you. And so he cut his palm and allowed his blood to mix with the cut on your hand."  
  
I bit my lip, aware of Inuyasha's sacrifice. The procedure must have tired him out.  
  
"Kagome," my mom continued softly. "There was a side effect to what Inuyasha did."  
  
I squeezed her hand. "What would that be?"  
  
She sighed. "You and Inuyasha are bonded by blood now. Jaken said that you have cheated death. As a price, one of you cannot now live without the other."  
  
Ain't that the truth, I thought bitterly. Somehow, I had always ended up in the Feudal Era, even before I fell in love with the hanyou. But I had a feeling that wasn't what she meant.  
  
My mother caught my confused expression. "In other words, if Inuyasha dies tomorrow, you will die too. If you die in thirty years, he will die in that same instant. You share a life now, no matter how far apart you are."  
  
As the words sunk in, tears began to prickle in my eyes. "But that means I have condemned Inuyasha to a life of fifty years or so. He would have lived so much longer!"  
  
She tilted her head and gave me a sad smile. "No, Kagome. Inuyasha's demon blood is stronger than your human blood. You have inherited some interesting traits. Jaken believes that you shall live as long as a hanyou, with the same long youth. You probably won't even start to grow old for centuries. He also mentioned something about increased senses, strength and speed. Nothing like Inuyasha's abilities, but you are essentially part demon now. A hanyou."  
  
I gave her an incredulous stare. "And Jaken was the one who helped with all this?"  
  
My mother smiled slightly. "I think he had a bit of persuasion from Yuki. And I believe her exact words to Sesshoumaru were 'just deal with it'."  
  
A wide grin spread over my face for a moment, as I realized Inuyasha couldn't call me weak anymore. But it fell away as soon as I saw my mother hunch over. "What, Mom? This doesn't make me any less your daughter, you know."  
  
"I know, dear. But I also know that you shouldn't return through the well with me, Grandpa and Souta."  
  
"What? Why not?" My eyes grew wide and tears began to form again. I wiped at my eyes, ignoring the physical pain of moving and wishing away my fragile emotions.  
  
My mother bent over me as if she were about to give me a goodnight kiss. "You love Inuyasha, don't you? Well, you must stay with him. Kaede believes the well will seal itself once you've put together the shards of the jewel. There's every chance you will live for five hundred years, if you're careful. You can live history, Kagome! Don't continue this half- life you've been suffering through for the past three years. Live with your mate and come see us when you get to that time period. I would have done the same for your father."  
  
Tears flowed out in small rivers and I noticed that I could smell their saltiness clearly, as well as my mother's soap. "I don't even know if Inuyasha loves me back, Mom."  
  
She just smiled and got to her feet. "You'll be fine, Kagome. Rest now."  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
I stayed in bed for three interminable days. In retrospect, I shouldn't have been so impatient; normal humans would have taken months to recover from injuries like mine. However, on the fourth morning, I couldn't stay in that hut any longer and went outside, intent on making my way to the God Tree.  
  
Inuyasha had disappeared during the previous night while I slept. When I had asked Yuki and Kaede about it, they simply shrugged, but I noticed that they wouldn't meet my eyes. They knew something.  
  
Finally, after twenty minutes, I reached the base of the tree. The journey tired me out, so I decided to rest before calling for Inuyasha. He had to be around, right? I found it hard to believe that he would go far after what he had done. Leaving me alone would open not just me, but both of us to death now.  
  
"You're doing it again. Out alone and looking for me."  
  
I turned sharply and immediately regretted it as a shooting pain went up my side. "Hi, Inuyasha," I squeaked.  
  
He frowned at me with a concerned gleam in his eyes. "You shouldn't be out here, Kagome. You're still hurting. It must have taken you twenty minutes to get up here."  
  
I smiled. "You were watching me."  
  
Annoyance flashed across his features, but he almost immediately relaxed. "Maybe. Don't see why you're so happy about it."  
  
"Why shouldn't I be happy that you're still protecting me?" I stood up with a little difficulty, but he let his arms encircle me and help me up. When I got my balance, he didn't take them away and I began to blush.  
  
"She's gone, you know," he whispered.  
  
"Huh? Who?" I forced my head up and found him staring intensely into my face.  
  
His voice was emotionless. "Kikyo. That's where I was this morning. She said that she could be at peace now. Then she said she had forgiven me and that she hoped I would live a long, happy life. She told me to tell you that your soul is complete again, and that she's proud of her reincarnation. Then she just dissolved into the wind. She's dust again." He looked at the God Tree for a moment and then settled his golden eyes on me again. I leaned my head on his chest and listened to his heart and his breath. "You smell like me. I mean, you smell like you, too. But it's nice not to smell the wolf on you."  
  
I felt the heat emanating from his cheek, telling me that he was blushing at his jumbled speech. I couldn't resist teasing him. "That must've been one hell of an imprint you left on me."  
  
He growled lightly. "It's not just the imprint. My blood runs in your veins, and yours in mine."  
  
"Yeah... you're stuck with me now." I reached up, ruffled his hair and began to rub his ears.  
  
His chest vibrated as he closed his eyes and growled again. "Don't do that."  
  
I pulled my hand away. "Sorry. I forgot that bothers you."  
  
He grabbed my hand and nuzzled his face into it. "It's not that it bothers me, Kagome." He lowered his voice and leaned even closer. "It does the complete opposite. So I think you should wait to do it until after the ceremony. Preferably when we're alone."  
  
My heart skipped a beat. "What ceremony?" I silently cursed as I listened to my voice tremble.  
  
He pressed his body against mine and smirked slightly. "Don't tell me that you changed your mind. I remember you told me once that you want a small, romantic human wedding. I could always get Yuki to perform a demon mating ceremony for us if you want that though. You are part demon now." I choked back a sob and he leaned back. "Kagome? You're crying... Why are you crying?"  
  
"I'm happy, you big jerk." I threw my arms around him and hugged as tightly as possible.  
  
Inuyasha sighed in relief and buried his face in my hair. His next words were muffled. "Kagome... I turned into a demon, even with the Tetsusaiga in my hands. I transformed because every part of me wanted you to be revenged. For you to be safe. And I stayed in control because it was you in danger and not me. But..." He paused.  
  
I ran my hands down his mane of white hair. "If you're scared that one day you won't be in control, don't be. I'm not."  
  
He lifted his head from my shoulder. "You don't mind having me as your husband then? As your mate?"  
  
"Of course not. I love you." I spoke the words before thinking, but quickly realized that I wanted him to know. There was no reason to hide my feelings anymore.  
  
He hesitated and then whispered, "I love you too, Kagome. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."  
  
Smacking him lightly on his upper arm, I playfully said, "What was the pause for?" I pouted a bit as he smiled and trailed a clawed finger down my cheekbone.  
  
"Gimme a break. I've never said it out loud before. It's gonna take awhile for me to get used to it." He buried his nose in my hair. "You really do smell good."  
  
I lifted my own nose to his hair and sniffed in vain. "I can't smell you, even with my heightened senses."  
  
"You're trying too hard. I guess I'll have to show you." He took a lock of his long hair and held it up to my face. "Just relax."  
  
With a deep breath and closed eyes, the scent of the forest invaded my nose. Inuyasha smelled like nature... of wildflowers, grass and sky. There was no other way to explain it, but I knew I immediately liked it. "You smell nice too," I said, opening my eyes.  
  
He grinned and let out a happy sigh. "I can't wait to discover the scent of our pup growing within you."  
  
Raising my eyebrows, I commented, "Aren't we jumping a bit ahead ourselves?"  
  
He rubbed his forehead against mine. "Don't worry. I plan on keeping you to myself for a little while at least."  
  
My hands encircled his neck and I felt the beads of his rosary under my fingers. "Inuyasha, don't you want me to remove this? I think that you've been wearing it long enough."  
  
"Will it disappear if you remove it?"  
  
I frowned a little. "I don't know. It will probably fall apart. Why? What does it matter?"  
  
He blushed a little. "I don't want you to take it off until I'm sure I can keep it. It's been a real pain in the ass over the years, but it kept me bonded to you, so I guess I'm a bit thankful for it." He tensed up as he finished, but settled down as he put his head on my shoulder.  
  
I giggled and he pulled back again, giving me a confused stare. "You're getting sentimental and you're smiling more than I've ever seen you do. I never thought I'd see the day." I ran my hands through his hair, feeling him relax even further.  
  
"Hmm... I'll let you get away with that one, this time. But don't get too comfortable with it." He smirked and closed the gap between us, kissing me softly. I sighed against his lips. Inuyasha had finally said he loved me and wanted to marry me. I felt as if my life had finally come together. Apparently, it only took a near-death experience to get it that way.  
  
I gently broke our kiss and blushed. "We should get back. My mom will worry."  
  
"In a minute," he whispered, right before he captured my lips again.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Before twenty-four hours had passed, Inuyasha declared that he never wanted to hear the word 'finally' again. Supposedly, even the villagers were murmuring it in the streets as we walked by.  
  
There were a couple people that didn't seem too happy. My grandfather was naturally not too pleased that I had chosen to marry a half-demon, but the one that really took the news hard was the wolf prince. Kouga immediately walked out of Kaede's hut when Inuyasha and I returned from the forest.  
  
"You should talk to him," suggested Yuki, after Kouga had been sulking in the fields for a whole day. "Remember, he let you go from his promise, so he really shouldn't be complaining that you chose another."  
  
Sango nodded her agreement. "Besides, you need the jewel shards in his legs to complete the Shikon no Tama." Inuyasha and I each had half of the jewel, since Kaede still believed joining them would seal the well. Kouga's shards were the only missing pieces now.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, this will be fun. 'Hi Kouga. Sorry about choosing to love your enemy over you. By the way, could I have those shards now please?'"  
  
Inuyasha wrapped an arm around my waist. "I'll come and make sure the wolf behaves himself," he growled.  
  
"No, Inuyasha. I have to do this on my own." I gently pushed away his arm and kissed his cheek so that he wouldn't protest.  
  
He relaxed against my touch until he heard Yuki and Sango whispering 'aww' to each other. "Shut it, will you?" he snapped at them. "Feh. Gossips."  
  
Yuki just grinned at him. "Sure, little brother. I swear, you and my Lord are really too much alike sometimes." She winked at me, letting me know that this was the time to slip out without Inuyasha following and making things worse.  
  
I smiled back as my hanyou removed his grip on me and growled, "I have absolutely nothing in common with that tyrant mate of yours."  
  
As they began to argue, I made my exit and went to the edge of the rice fields, where the wolf clan had been spending their time. Two sentries spotted me as I crossed over to them and one ran off. By the time I reached the wolves' camp, Kouga was waiting for me. His eyes were sad although he wore the usual smug expression.  
  
Before I could say anything, he grabbed my hand, deposited two jewel shards onto my palm and withdrew his touch. I looked at them purifying in my hands and then up at him, noticing for the first time that his legs were bandaged.  
  
"I told you I'd give them to you," he said, his voice lacking the usual bravado.  
  
"Yes... you did," I answered slowly. "Arigato, Kouga-kun."  
  
We stood there for a moment in silence and I noticed that the wolf pack was trying their hardest to ignore us and were failing miserably.  
  
"You love him?" spoke up Kouga.  
  
I inwardly groaned. Demons went on scent, right? Why couldn't he just save us both from this embarrassment? Finally, I nodded. "I do. Very much."  
  
His tail twitched and he began to stare off into the distance. "I can't do anything about it. He's asked you to be his mate and you've accepted. To intervene would be dishonorable. But if you love the dog-face, I guess I shouldn't interfere anyway." Kouga's eyes darkened as they refocused on me. "Just make sure he treats you like he should. If he doesn't, he'll have to answer to me." He flexed his claws.  
  
Arching my eyebrows, I said, "I'll be sure to tell him." The wolf prince still obviously wasn't satisfied, but I'd take what I could get.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
"Please don't go," I begged between gasping breaths. "Please stay. I need you here."  
  
"Oh, Kagome. You know I love you, but I can't stay. You know that."  
  
I hugged my mother tightly. "Please, just stay for the wedding. Me and Inuyasha want you there. And Souta and grandpa too."  
  
She gently pried me off of her waist and looked into my very red, tear- streaked face. "If I stay for the wedding, then what? Stay for the first child to be born? The second?" She brushed my tears away. "Kagome, I want to stay and see you live your life. But you're not only my daughter anymore. You're also going to be a wife and mother. And your brother and grandfather still need me back in our former life."  
  
I let my head drop. She was right of course. My mother had supported me through the first eighteen years of my life and it was time for me to take over that job. I just wished I didn't have to endure it completely without her and the rest of my family.  
  
"Kagome," she whispered. I noticed for the first time that her own silent tears were sliding down her cheeks. "We will see each other again. Sooner than you would think. Take the house we built as a wedding present and enjoy life here. Just make sure you take care of her." She finished with her eyes flashing towards Inuyasha.  
  
"I will," he responded solemnly, bowing a little at the waist.  
  
"And I expect to have several grandchildren which I can spoil horribly."  
  
I blushed through my tears. "I won't be able to wait, Mom. You'll see me as soon as you get through that well. I'll just be about five hundred years older."  
  
"I know, sweetheart," my mother answered, kissing my forehead. "This is where you life led you. Remember that and don't ever regret this, because I don't. Because I know you love that boy and your friends so much that you couldn't live without them."  
  
I smiled through my tears and turned to hug my grandfather. He stuffed a few demon wards into my hand, warning me about evil spirits and muttering something about Yuki and Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Thanks, grandpa." I finally turned to my little brother. "Don't grow up too much, okay?"  
  
"You said you'd be there when we went through the well again," he sobbed as he latched onto me.  
  
I fought to keep my remaining tears back and found that I couldn't speak. After a few minutes, my grandfather finally unhooked Souta's arms from around my body.  
  
"I love you, Mom... Grandpa... Souta."  
  
"We love you too, Kagome," my mom answered. She helped Souta over the lip of the well and was followed by Inuyasha carrying my grandfather.  
  
I began to sob as I saw the light emanate from the well, telling me that Inuyasha had taken them across the time barrier. Two minutes later, he returned alone. Through my bleary vision, I saw that he held out Naraku's half of the jewel. I took it and, with shaking hands, fused it with my own part of the sphere. It lay in my palm, glowing a soft, purified pink. Next to us, the well radiated golden light and then died. It was sealed.  
  
I sobbed again and threw my arms around Inuyasha's neck. He just hugged me tightly and said nothing.  
  
~Fin  
  
A/N: I know that this is a sad ending, but it was rather necessary. Kagome's family had to go back to their time, and I couldn't exactly put a happy scene in after that. However, THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE! And it will be happier... fluffy even. 


	23. Epilogue

A/N: This is so heartbreaking! I loved writing this story and now it has to end. It's highly unlikely that I'll be writing a sequel. I just think this epilogue will be enough closure to the story. Besides, I'm already working on my next story called "The Broken Miko". It's a Sess/Kagome fic and the first chapter will be posted sometime next week. I'm also beginning to formulate another Inu/Kagome story, an AU based on the fairytale "Thousandfurs" – the original version. See the bottom for a list of all the reviewers I've had so far for this story. I love you all!  
  
Golden Fire  
  
Epilogue  
  
My heart leapt in joy as Ah-Un landed softly in Sesshoumaru's courtyard. It was good to be here again. While sliding off the dragon's back, I could hear the guards calling to Jaken that we had arrived.  
  
"Um, Kagome? Mind helping me out here?" Inuyasha's voice came to me as I stared at Sesshoumaru's palace in awe. Every time we visited, I was amazed at my brother-in-law's good taste. I turned around to face my husband and began laughing when I saw that our one month old baby, Toshi, had tangled his tiny fingers into Inuyasha's forelock of hair. His face was twisted in pain as our son tugged on it.  
  
I lifted our little tyke out of his arms and carefully extracted the white hairs from Toshi's hand.  
  
"Aunt Kagome!" yelled a tiny voice.  
  
Cradling Toshi, I spun around to see my three-year-old nephew, Haruko, running towards us. He had been named after his maternal great- grandfather, who still commanded Sesshoumaru's army, but he was practically the mirror image of his father. Inuyasha moved in front of me and captured him, swinging the laughing boy up into his arms so he wouldn't barrel into my legs. "Hey there, kid," he greeted the tiny copy of Sesshoumaru. I grinned as I watched Haruko hug his uncle.  
  
"Hi Uncle Inuyasha! Where were you? You've been gone a really long time." He pulled back and pouted as he brushed away his blue hair, the only indication that he was also Yuki's child.  
  
"We've only been gone a few months, Haruko," I answered. "And now you have a new baby cousin." I showed him the now sleeping Toshi.  
  
His eyes grew wide and he smiled at me. "Oh, okay." He peered closer. "Rin will like him a lot." Haruko's smile grew wider as he spoke of his human sister. Sesshoumaru and Yuki had officially adopted the little girl after Naraku's defeat. Over the past five years, she had grown quite a bit and I knew that, human or not, many youkai would be asking for the adorable girl's hand in marriage when she came of age.  
  
Just then, the girl herself appeared at the top of the steps that led into the palace. "Aunt Kagome! Uncle Inuyasha!" she called as she ran down the steps.  
  
"Don't run, Rin," a cold voice spoke out from the dark doorway. Rin stopped in her tracks and smiled sheepishly as Sesshoumaru and Yuki appeared.  
  
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin had never gotten used to calling the Western Lord 'father', but he didn't seem to mind.  
  
Shippou, who had been asleep on Ah-Un's back, immediately woke up and ran to his best friend with a cry of happiness. "Rin-chan!"  
  
"Shippou-chan!"  
  
Yuki patted the now chattering pair on their heads as she passed and moved towards us. I grinned at my friend and sister. She had been the one who was so insistent on keeping our odd family together. Sesshoumaru had actually acquiesced to his mate's requests of constant visits. "Kagome- chan. I've missed you and Inuyasha so much." She smiled down at the bundle in my arms. "And this must be Toshi. He's adorable." She lightly touched the white ears that topped my son's head and he opened his eyes to reveal his golden orbs. "A true hanyou. He really does look like you, Inuyasha. Congratulations."  
  
"Thanks for sending the dragon so we wouldn't have to spend a week walking here with the kid. Dragon's a lot faster," Inuyasha said offhandedly, as he glared at Sesshoumaru. As much as my husband liked Yuki and Haruko, the two brothers had only achieved strained civility with each other.  
  
Yuki and I ignored their looks. "Where are Kohaku, Sango, Miroku and the children?"  
  
I laughed. "Kirara had them on her back, but they stopped awhile back because of the children fighting. They'll be here soon, I'd imagine."  
  
"That's what you get when you have three children in five years," Yuki answered with a laugh of her own. "When they grow up, they'll be the greatest of friends though."  
  
"Probably. Sango keeps swearing that she won't have any more, but you know how they are."  
  
"Like they have rabbit demon blood in them? Yes, I know." Yuki laughed again as she gathered her son from Inuyasha's arms. "So, little brother, is fatherhood agreeing with you?"  
  
Inuyasha flattened his ears against his head. "Yeah... although I think I'm going deaf."  
  
Yuki touched noses with Haruko and the boy giggled. "Yes, I'm aware of the strength of babies' lungs."  
  
"I never made a noise, right Mommy?" asked the tiny demon.  
  
The Western Lady opened her mouth but didn't speak for a moment. Finally, she put him down and gave him a gentle push towards Sesshoumaru. "Go ask your father." She straightened up and gave me a half-smile. "I don't like being cliché, but that excuse comes in real handy sometimes." She let out a breath. "Well... let's get you two and that baby inside where it's warmer."  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
Sango, Yuki and I watched as our seven collective children played on the floor, under the watchful eye of a youkai nurse and a teenaged Kohaku. Haruko had been right; Rin had been holding Toshi as much as possible in the last few hours.  
  
"Mom! Akio and Kimi are picking on me!" wailed Midoriko, Sango's youngest child and second daughter.  
  
"Stop it you two," warned Sango, without so much as a flinch.  
  
"You've really taken on the mother role in the past five years, haven't you?" asked Yuki.  
  
The demon exterminator sighed happily. "Yes, well... that happens when you have a four year old, three year old and a two year old all at once." She ticked off her children on her fingers.  
  
I smiled at my friend's obvious bliss, even if it was a noisy bliss. "Well, I think the ones who have really changed are our husbands... err, mates. Whatever." Inuyasha and I had both ceremonies performed for us, so that we would be recognized as what we were by both demon and human alike. "Anyway, I think that fatherhood really agrees with them. They've become... sweeter somehow."  
  
Yuki looked at the men on the side of the room. They were evidently discussing the latest battles in the nearby lands, if their serious expressions could be any indication. Sesshoumaru was digging his claws into the armrest of his chair. "Um, darling?" Yuki called across to her mate. "Let's not replace that chair again." He glared at her and she turned back to me, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, real sweethearts."  
  
I watched the Western Lord and blushed as I remembered my old question. "Yuki... I've been wondering this for years... What's the fluffy thing around Sesshoumaru's shoulder?"  
  
Sango burst out laughing, causing everyone to look at us. Yuki just grinned and stood up. "I'll do better than tell you. I'll show you. Haruko," she called to her son. "Come here."  
  
"Yes, Mommy?" The child looked up at his snow demon mother in adoration. It was rather amazing that she was such a wonderful mother, considering that she had attained the position of being Sesshoumaru's deadliest assassin as well as his mate.  
  
"It's time for a nap. Ask your father to take you to bed, okay?"  
  
"Can I fly?" he asked, with a pleading look and clasped hands.  
  
Sango and I looked at Yuki in confusion, but she just nodded and shooed Haruko off to her mate. The little boy ran up to his father and held out his arms. Sesshoumaru picked him up and immediately made an expression of annoyance as his son talked to him. His eyes burned into Yuki's from across the room, but she just smiled in return.  
  
"He may be the Lord of the Western Lands, but he's still helpless when his son asks something of him," Yuki whispered to us.  
  
I watched in amazement as Sesshoumaru stood up and unwrapped the fluffy thing from around his shoulder. He sighed slightly as Haruko clapped his hands in delight. The fluffy thing quickly curled around his son's waist and lifted him up off the floor. Haruko shrieked with joy as his father turned around and walked out of the room, carrying the boy behind him with what I realized was, in fact, a tail.  
  
"Bye, Mommy!" the little boy called, waving his hand as he 'flew' down the hall to his bedroom.  
  
"Have a nice nap, sweetheart," answered Yuki. She glanced around the room at our shocked faces. "Well, now you know."  
  
After I recovered, I began to laugh so hard that tears came to my eyes. "That was one of the most hilarious and sweetest things I've ever seen."  
  
Yuki smiled and sat down next to me again. "I see it as a trade-off. He actually shows affection for his own flesh and blood and I dress as a Lady should." She indicated her royal robes, which had so many layers that I wondered how she could move. It reminded me of the clothing I had seen Inuyasha's false mother wear. "I know," she whispered, noticing my dubious look. "I would kill for a tank top and some jeans."  
  
It was one of the first times I could think about my original era without getting depressed. "You'll get to wear them again. Maybe even the black leather."  
  
She waved her hand. "Leather I can find here. I wear it when I go out on my missions. I just want some nice cotton shorts in which to practice my sword fighting. Oh gods, cotton underwear!"  
  
"Definitely," I agreed, adjusting my own kimono. My eyes traveled to Sango, who was now on the floor with her children, holding Toshi. He was reaching up to her bangs and I smiled. My little boy really had a thing for tugging on hair.  
  
Sesshoumaru re-entered the room and I suppressed another fit of laughter. He narrowed his eyes at me before turning to Yuki. "Your son spends an inordinate amount of time talking and not enough time sleeping."  
  
Yuki smiled. "I love how he's my son when he's being difficult, but your son all the rest of the time."  
  
The Western Lord stared at her for a moment and then smirked. "He is our son always." I grinned, realizing that this was as cute as they would get in front of other people.  
  
Quickly, Yuki averted her eyes and found her way back to me. "So..." she began. "Have you heard from Kouga lately?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes, although Inuyasha wasn't very happy about him coming to see me again. It had been awhile since I saw him though. At least a year and a half."  
  
Sango joined us. "You'd think he would've it through his thick skull that Kouga isn't the one you love." She pulled Midoriko up onto her lap and began brushing her fingers through the little girl's matted hair as she squirmed. I marveled momentarily at her ability to juggle all of the children.  
  
"I know," I answered, rolling my eyes. "He was better than he had been before we were married. He didn't draw Tetsusaiga for at least five minutes. Anyway, Inuyasha backed down as soon as Kouga told us the news." I paused and watched Yuki's face light up with anticipation. The snow demon definitely had a taste for gossip. "He's going to take a mate."  
  
Yuki sat back in amazement. "The prince of wolves getting a mate? My, things have changed. I thought he would mope forever over you. Who is she?"  
  
I shrugged. "Another wolf demon. Ayame, I think her name is." I smiled, remembering how happy I had been for the wolf prince. With the news, he seemed to have finally forgiven me for choosing Inuyasha. He was happy and in love again.  
  
"Fascinating..." She stared off into the distance for a moment and then her eyes refocused on Sango and me. "I also have news from an old friend. Lord Kuri has invited my Lord Sesshoumaru, his family and his friends to a gathering. Rumor has it that he's found a mate of his own, but I think he's actually just lonely for some interesting people. Imagine being with all those nobles who were so weak that they didn't stand up to Yama when he usurped the throne."  
  
I nodded. "That would make sense."  
  
"Yeah... so we'll pick you up on the way. It's in a month, okay?" Yuki looked at Sango and me with pleading eyes. "Please don't leave me with those boring nobles."  
  
"Technically, aren't you a 'boring noble', yourself?" I teased.  
  
"You're too funny, Kagome," she responded with dry sarcasm.  
  
We settled into a comfortable silence. Sango lifted Midoriko off her lap and watched her toddle off to play with her siblings and friends.  
  
I let my eyes rest on the thirteen year old Rin and absently toyed with the Shikon no Tama around my neck. I had not even told Inuyasha of my idea, but finally settled on letting him know with the rest of them. I stood up as Yuki and Sango turned their heads to me. "Guys?" I called across the room.  
  
The demons immediately focused their attention on me, but it took a few more pleas to get the humans to listen. Once they all were silent, I took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm kind of going on intuition here... but I think this will work. As you all know, for the past five years I've been trying to figure out what to wish for on the jewel. Inuyasha turned down the opportunity to become a full demon," I paused and shot my husband a kind look, which he readily returned. "Sango and Miroku expressed their desire to live as humans do, with their predestined life spans." I hesitated again, remembering the pain of their decision and what it would mean. "And I have often wanted to wish for the well to open again."  
  
"But you didn't," broke in Miroku.  
  
I shook my head slowly. "I realized that these were all selfish wishes that would taint the jewel and not destroy it. So I think I've finally come up with a solution. I will wish for someone else." I turned to Rin, who had been playing with Sango's children. "What would you like more than anything, Rin-chan?"  
  
Her eyes widened immediately in surprise and joy as she leapt up and ran to hug her adoptive mother. "I want to live as long as Mother and Sesshou-... I mean, Father." She blushed at her words, but I noticed that the Western Lord looked pleased for a fleeting moment. Yuki simply smiled down at her elder child.  
  
Without a moment's hesitation, I took the jewel off the chain and held it in front of me. "I wish that Rin would have a demon life-span, so that she might live as her parents and siblings do."  
  
A bright beam of light poured out and struck a smiling Rin where her heart was. She gasped and her grin grew wider until the light was extinguished. When I looked down, the jewel had disappeared. "Rin is going to be with you forever, Mother!" she cried, slipping into her old speech pattern, as she flung herself back into Yuki's arms. Just as quickly, she turned and embraced my waist tightly. "Thank you, Aunt Kagome!"  
  
"Yes, thank you," murmured Yuki as she stroked her daughter's hair in awe. I almost giggled at her unnatural lack of words.  
  
Sesshoumaru got up from his chair and stood next to Rin and Yuki, while bowing slightly in my direction. From him, that was more than enough thanks. Somehow I knew that he would never glare at any of us, even Inuyasha, again. Well, at least not sincerely.  
  
I smiled at the family and moved toward the fireplace, where Inuyasha soon joined me. "You were thinking of this for a long time. It was a good thing to do." He paused and looked at my expression. "Are you okay? You look sad."  
  
I didn't answer at first. I was looking around the room, watching the people closest to my heart. Sango and Yuki laughed together as they fawned over Rin. Miroku was smiling and discussing something with Kohaku. And Sesshoumaru was sighing in defeat as his son toddled into the room with a jumbled sentence about not being sleepy. I turned to Inuyasha, who held Toshi delicately in his deadly claws. "I'm fine, Inuyasha. In fact, I'm great." I kissed my son's forehead and began to rub my husband's ears.  
  
"Kagome... Not the ears..." he warned as his eyes drifted closed. How many times had I heard that weak protest?  
  
I just giggled. Yup... things were wonderful.  
  
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///  
  
It's over! I'm still crying... not really, but eh. Here's to the people who motivated me to finish this and gave me such wonderful praise! (with special notes for a few who went out of their way and gave me special encouragement)  
  
Sunshine – My most loyal reviewer and my best friend... I love you chica! My Sess/Kagome fic is complete dedicated to you...  
  
Kyd Fizziks – It was great talking to you and I appreciate your support. Gracias.  
  
Meagan (Dryad101) – Hey chica. Thanks for all your praise and frequent reviews. You're a great writer but you need to finish your story! Haha. Seriously, tell me when it updates!  
  
Itzjustme – Thank you very much for your reviews, they've been greatly appreciated.  
  
Freaky – Another wonderful supporter! Gracias for all your praise and your emails... not to mention the encouragement to do another Inu/Kagome story!  
  
Senex – Even though you only reviewed once *glares*, you helped me so much by straightening out the plot and characters... Love you!  
  
Hollie Daye – Just a note to thank you for the possibly the most flattering review I have ever read, and definitely the most flattering I've ever received. Great, I'm blushing again... haha... Thanks!  
  
Atlanta-avalon1.1, Gennie Kag's and Sess's Child, *good*looking*man*, sesshoumarupeace, kagome, TwilightSakura, Iolaus-16, LPDramaBabe, Siriusly Serious, Sango'n'Miroku4ever, SilverHanyou1, greeneydgrl74, ~surfbratt~, purplepeopleeater, Morgaine of the Fairies, holyDark, Angel Nina, Mike, Shadow Kitsune67, shizukanayami, foxygrl, midnite sorrow, Angel-chan3, me, LeaMarie F. Rocket, waterdragonmaster, Jade, Nitte iz, I aM cHaOs!!!, RougeCrayon, Blue Tigeress, CometsChaos, Draconic Ban-sidhea, Mad-Cabbage, vic, MoonLightWolf, japanesegurl153, Ryoko Maxwell3, Thief of Baghdad, ladykaa28, Kawaii-Inu-Inutaishou, royjoy, Mara, WHRobinfan13, NeoTokyo- sailor, Skiddy16, badgerwolf, Chrissy, keeper-of-the-triforce, Robinfan13, bloodykitsune, InuGoddess, DarkFencer, 18_T_18, Azrial Saotome, tiffiny, JCCSilkie, IYWriterGirl, JoyfulOne  
  
WHEW! That's a lot of wonderful people! Thank you all, and don't forget to watch for my new stories! Ciao! 


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